Love After War Ends
by DarkAngelsShadow
Summary: This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning. Caryl Story based on love while at war. Rated M ... . oxox
1. Chapter 1 A Soldiers Journey

**_First time attempting to write so feel free to review even if all you have to say turns out to be a flame. One can't improve with out being made aware of what should be worked upon. Yes story is based around a song. A few different songs actually... no not all of the music used will be country... let me know if you would like another chapter. Thank you for reading hopefully I didn't mess this up to terrible bad. oxox_**

**_I do not own or make any kind of money or profit from the walking dead or its characters or from travelin soldiers by the dixie chicks._**

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**_Chapter 1 A soldiers Journey_**

**_Two days past eighteen He was waitin' for the bus in his army greens  
Sat down in a booth at a cafe there Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair He's a little shy so she gives him a smile And he said "would you mind sittin' down for a while And talkin' to me, I'm feelin' a little low." she said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go_**

Daryl Dixon's number had been drawn. It was July 14 1968 and he had just hit his 20th year of birth. He couldn't grasp how his day of birth could have screwed him over more than now. This drafting lottery where slips of paper containing numbers on them could be placed in different plastic containers, that were mixed up in a _shoebox_ and then dumped into a large glass jar. Only to be drawn from the jar one at a time. The unlucky numbers to be drawn where then matched to a set of dates.

Dates for ones year of birth and these simple numbers where sending men off to war. Now not only did he regret his whole damn birthday, but also the air he breathed. Not like he had ever cared for that day anyways. Years rolled right on by over each other; with him caring it was just another day for him.

Now here he was, in his army greens, so different from his usual attire of holey blue jeans and a leather vest over his shirt, his crossbow resting across his back with his duffle bag sitting at his feet. He stood there standing grasping his draft letter in his right hand along with his bus ticket, lost in thought on the curb of the bus terminal across from a little small town café. Waiting for his bus to arrive in a town where people where scowling at him as they walked on by. He'd already met up and transferred from two other city buses. Now here he was standing in a small town in Georgia waiting for a transfer bus with other boys standing there with their families, young men like himself who had been drafted. A bunch of candyass guys who looked clean shaven and weak muscled, like they had never had to have fought for anything in their lives.

He was waiting here for his ride to take him on his way across country heading to Camp Irwin California. Where he'd be assigned to his unit and go through the vigorous workouts of basic training and then shipped off to do more schooling. Where he'd hopefully make a good grade and be able to pass the boards to be moved up in rank in his classification before he was shipped off to join the war over seas.

Though he didn't want to take part in this war he had been drafted, and he would work towards proving everyone wrong. Prove to everyone that he could go somewhere and make something of himself.

Shit a war was no new news to him. Hell, hadn't he been fighting all his life. He'd been fighting his drunk of a daddy. His mama had run out of strength to fight once Daryl had turned 13 and could throw his own punches to defend and meet the ones of his old mans. Though he knew she did the best that she could do his mama was always trying to run away or she was taking the beatings for all of her boys and at times even his own big brother Merle would get a few swings in on him. They'd finaly gotten a lucky break in when their step daddy had been dragged off to prison for account of murder.

Fighting for survival was nothing new for Daryl Dixon. People often sneered at him and pushed him around just for having his daddy's last name, _being a Dixon, what a fucking curse._

He would walk through his schools hallways like a ghost keeping to himself in hopes of never being noticed. His fellow class mates often labeling him as a no good hick, a son of a drunken bastard a real looser they called him. The towns folk never looking at him, acting as if they did they'd come in contact with some std or some shit like that.

That's why Daryl's soul always longed for the forest. Where the echoing of the tree branches could be heard blowing in the wind. The skittering noises the animals made when he came upon them in the shelter of their homes. Listening to the wild brooks and watching as an eagle would swoop down to capture its prize from its calm waters. While he walked the deer warn paths of the forest it often brought him the comfort of knowing that he was a good man, with a good heart, with clean blood pumping in his veins, unlike his father.. Daryl had had to fight for everything this life had ever given him.

This draft though was a whole new fight for him. A change in the life he knew and led. It brought a new meaning of fighting for survival into his life. At least now he would be free of his back woods watered down town and be recognized for what he was, a fighter. He never gave in or gave up. He'd fought his demons and yet he still came out stronger. No one had ever stopped and noticed him before.

Maybe now that he was wearing the colors of a soldier people wouldn't sneer at him, point and laugh at his cloths or the string of squirrels and rabbits he often could be seen with hanging off his back. And all for what, a war which was nothing new to him, he was trading one battle for another. Heck even Merle had joined the army as soon as he could to get out of the awful place. He had no idea where he was.

So lost in his thoughts Daryl didn't smell the hints of rain in the air, or the way the light from the sun was being chased away by the angry clouds in the sky. His inner demons where kicking up such a bad storm in his emotional raging mind that he didn't hear the thunder that was rolling across the sky until the heavens opened up and poured hail right down onto him.

Looking around quickly Daryl decided the only place he could go that didn't look overly crowded and unfriendly to get out of the rain in was the small town's café across the street in front of him. Picking up his duffel bag Daryl makes a quick jog across the busy road out of the hail storm and heads into the café.

Upon hearing the bell above the door to the cafe, Carol looks up at the entrance. The soldier who appeared to be standing there in front of her was mildly large with broad-shoulders. His brawny arms had a dark tan that stood out in direct contrast to the surrounding environment. He stood there unsure of himself just looking around. She gives him a friendly nod and points him in the direction of an empty booth with a tip of her head.

After finishing up with her current table of local high school customers she turns and walks up to the soldiers table noticing that he's got an outdoorsy rugged sort of face on him with a shy smile, not quit reaching his eyes. He's got an aura about him that feels as though he's ready to spring out of the café, like he's a caged animal putting on a show and everyone is there to watch him. _ Fuck, just what I don't need, fuckers staren' at me. Can't a man sit the fuck down and eat without being a sideshow attraction?_

Carol knows how he feels her unnoticed bruising brings a reminder to her each time someone accidently bumps into her, making her hate the man who gave them to her all the more. A damaged soul can always recognize another. Even when the person is trying to guard themselves and hide it, She senses it and can see it in the way his shoulders are set in a hunched over protective manner. How his eyes are wondering around the room but not making any eye contact.

_Not here to harm you, god knows I've seen my share of pain, just want to take care of your order_. _Hope he keeps that crossbow safe on his back. Don't need him training it on someone._ She stands next to his seat, as a soft smile appears across her face with a haunted appearance masked inside her eyes. Daryl is watching the waitress and notices that there is no mean harsh ugly look upon her face; a face that has a gentle uniqueness to it and could easily stick out in a crowd. Looking up not quiet making eye contact he sees a set of bright blue eyes that are gently guarded yet still have a warm inviting light to them.

In a discreet way Daryl takes a good look at the friendly waitresses form. He can see that she was a woman that was blossoming into a shape all her own as his eyes took in the shape of her feasting on her hidden form. She's standing there with the typical waitress outfit on, the blue of it matching her eyes and a name badge over her right breast with the name "Carol," on it. _Fuck, she's small, looks like a good fit to what? Nothen wrong with looken, can't tell what's under them cloths_.

Noticing she has a calming yet wontedly aura, the peace and familiarity of it wraps around and settles into him as she looks down into his eyes. A calming affect he has never felt before overcomes him while being surrounded by her. Daryl's body lets the tension of being out in public around hateful people slip away in her presence.

While look up at her he notices she's reaching up to fix the sliding blue bow in her long brown wavy hair. Upon making eye contact with him, she gives him a smile, as she goes to ask him his order, she's amazed at how soft his voice is while peering into his sky blue eyes, the gruff yet gentleness of his words while he's asking her "would you mind sittin' down for a while And talkin' to me, I'm feelin' a little low?"

Carol is taken aback by the many emotions leaking threw his voice at his simple question and the look of possibility in his eyes. "Would you like to order?" she asks him as calm as the emotion of surprise will let her, as disappointment comes over the look in his eyes. _Fuck it, alright, don't want ya here. Bitch_.

Not knowing when he will be able to eat next he orders a burger with fries and a coke with a growl in his voice. As Carol walks away she can feel his eyes burning a hole into her back. While visiting her other table and delivering their check, while heading back to the bar to pick up his order she can feel his eyes harden. Though for some odd reason she's slowly gaining in confidence and courage she's never felt or had before from somewhere deep inside her.

_He seems so different, he can't be that bad, what being dressed like that and all. _She takes a quick peek back at him. _He has that, oh I don't know bad boy outcast, wounded angel soul about him; wonder if he has a bike that purrs?_ A shiver runs threw out her body at that thought._ That line of thinking is what gottcha into trouble in the first place girlie.. ya but who knows this one seems different. Just something about him that feels awfully familiar_.

She's walking lighter with a bounce in her step as she approaches his booth with a blinding smile on her face. Delivering his food and placing a hand on his shoulder, she meets his eyes as his body stiffens and he turns his head up. She tells him "I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go."


	2. Chapter 2 Sitten on the pier of a lake

**Good Morning, afternoon and evening Ladies.. and gents if there are any out there.. would love to know, to get their point of view on things. Wanted to thank definitelywalkerbait, peta2 and SOA Loving mom for their kind reviews. Ladies if I could reach threw the screen and hug you I would. Same goes for those who have given this story a chance and placed it on follow and favorite... sure wasn't exspecting that one so soon, Lets me know someone out gave it a chance Thank you. Gotta give a big shout out to SOA loving mom her story o****n her AN before the beginning of the chapter mentions of going back to when you where 20 something what you wanted to do and what you would of done. Well non the less this is what I would of done. I would of writen more and posted it. Have a dozen stories saved up just waiten to be put up, I'll get to it sooner or later. ****Thanx sissy for dealing with me and being my beta reader. Love ya. Hope you all enjoy. ox**

**Don't own or make any kind or profit or money from The walking dead or its characters travelin soldier by the dixie chicks or the quote from the Beautiful creatures series that I might have played with a lil. **

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**Chapter 2: Sittin' on the pier of a lake.**_  
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So they went down and they sat on the pier, He said I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care, I've got no one to send a letter to. Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?**_

For the remainder of Carols shift she could feel those eyes of the soldier following her around the café. Those curious insightful eyes on her gave her such a giddy butterfly feeling in her stomach that she was basically dancing out the rhythm of those butterflies with her feet.

After Carols shift was finished and she had passed on her tables to Andrea a fellow waitress, she made her way up to his table. Knowing the whole time she was walking to him the smile on her face could surely be seen shining threw her eyes.

Grasping his hand as she came up to his side she tugs on it ignoring the way his fingers stiffen up once again, but she couldn't help the sharp intake of breath as a shock of lightning raced up her arm to journey threw out her body. Making sure he had his duffle bag grasped in his other hand and his crossbow secured across his back. Carol walks over and stops at the cash register so that he can pay his bill. As she clocks out she turns to him with a smile and continues to drag him out the door.

Interlacing her fingers with his, she pretends not to notice his fingers that surely are leaving indents on the top of her hand. As they step out onto the busy side walk Carol notices that everyone around them are staring and pointing in their direction. Making Carol wonder _Why they all looking over here? Haven't they ever seen a soldier before?_

"Woman, why you gotta always keep touchen me?" Daryl growls out at her as he tries to shake her off. Not being used to a kind touch let alone one that has his hand tingling and causing the feeling of unknown sensations to race up his arm and threw out his body. Making him a bit light headed and not quite aware of his surroundings.

"Just tryen to keep my word to ya. That place I mentioned it's over here, down this way behind some buildings, more private thought you'd be more comfortable over there."

Carol pulls him across the street out into the afternoon air where Daryl can smell that the summer storm has passed on while he was inside eating. Walking across the street and up to the small brick building standing beside the newly built bus transfer station, Carol pulls him between the two structures around into the back.

At a closer look he can see that the building they are walking behind is the County's library. Not paying close enough attention to the gal in front of him he almost gets side swiped in the face by a tree limb. Being pulled ahead by this wisp of a gal he starts taking in his surroundings. "Know this place, been here before."

Trees and wild bushes with blooming flowers are growing abundant here and there is a familiar worn path where they are walking. Looking up a head Daryl can see the pier that overlooks the large lake. A pier he has sat at a few times before while waiting on his mama to finish up her shopen.

Carol pulls the soldier behind her. She drops his hand hoping he's okay with being out here in the woods, but guessing by the crossbow resting along his back that it might feel like a second home to him. At the same time she's hoping she's safe out here in the woods with this boy. Past experiences had taught her otherwise but she knows that not all souls are alike. His presence is giving of a calm welcoming with no meaning of ill intent hidden in it. Looking back at him she smiles upon seeing a relaxed look overcome his face. "So, is this alright?" Daryl nods his head.

"Ya, it's alright, feels like home," he tells her in a deep southern accent that makes her toes curl while she watches him take in a deep breathe into his lungs and releasing it slowly as though he's committing the scents in the air to memory. Walking up to the water's edge, Carol removes her shoes and dips her feet in, bending down at the knees looking for smooth stones to skip across the surface of the lake. Daryl drops his bag off at the tree line walking up to Carol at the water's edge he joins her in the search for the perfect skipping stone as he takes in her bent over figure at the water's edge. After finding a handful of skipping stones Carol turns to step out of the lakes crisp cool.

Daryl swallows hard, reaching out for her, "Come 'ere."

"Thought you didn't want me touchen you?" Carol asks with a puzzled look on her face.

"Damn woman, you want help or not?" Daryl asks scrawling down at her.

As Carol reaches up placing her hand in his, her heart leaping taking notice in the fact that he's not shuddering at her touch for once. Their eyes meet as a current sweeps threw out their joined hands and leaves an unspoken question hanging in the air between them. _Did you feel it to_? Carol smiles softly. _Gods damnit there it fucken' goes again.._ Daryl quirks an eyebrow at the unnamable feeling coursing threw out him. With Carol out of the water she releases Daryl's hand from her grasp while she works on replacing her shoes back on her feet. She stands to join Daryl at his side. Looking down at him as he's picking up stones she realizes, she doesn't even know his name.

"So you got a name soldier boy?" He straightens up from his bent over position scuffing at the word _boy_ as he looks her in the eyes, sky blue crashing into ocean blue, "Woman, tell ya what, if you can skip one of them stones in your hand, and never call me boy, I'll tell ya."

Looking down at her handful of skipping stones she picks the flattest one out, and laughs. "It's a deal." Flicking her wrist out to her side Carol launches a stone out across the water, watching it skip twice before sinking into the lake. "Daryl, Daryl Dixon," her soldier tells her in an unsure voice.

A smile over comes her face, "well nice to meet you Daryl, I'm Carol Mac Grayson." She tells him as she watches his arm muscles tighten up as he skips a few of his stones out across the water. They both turn to each other and give a little chuckle at the rhyming of their names. Carol starts humming to herself, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. She's curious, but she knows that curiosity killed the cat and she isn't quite sure on how many more lives she has and she isn't sure if she want to take the chance of chasing off Daryl.

She thinks _where's he heading dressed like that? To hell with it; never know unless you give it a try he hasn't ran away from me yet._ "So tell me Daryl, where you headed?" As she skips a stone across the lake she looks up at him.

"Fort Irwin California, not like I gots a choice," he sighs. "Where ya from? I haven't ever seen ya around." He skips a stone across the water in annoyance he hates the questioning game. Too many skeletons in his closet.

"Recently just moved here, I'm staying out on the outskirts of town at the Greene's farm. Hershel is my uncle. I miss where I grew up and some of the people I left behind. Too many bad things happened though, to many terrible situations going on with the war and all you know," Carol replies shrugging her shoulders hoping he doesn't notice the twitch of pain the muscles give off.

"It's beautiful here though. I was lucky enough to find a waitressing job. I've managed to meet a few nice people there. I miss my home town though, the surrounding forest nearby with its natural sounds and the sights. That's how I came to be back here found this place while I was out a wondering."

"ya, know the place, the Greene's farm, good hunten back in the woods outside his land up near the quarry, its quiet. Lived here my whole life, always kept to outside of town. People aren't really big on hav'n me 'round, what with being a Dixon and all."

Carol looks up at him in wonderment. "What's so bad about your name, no harm ever came from a name Daryl." Forgetting her stone she stares up at him, waiting patiently for him to answer.

Taking a defensive step back, he starts out in a low voice. "My old mans an asshole, the town drunk and there isn't a town within 50 miles that he isn't. Everyone rather takes to runnin' from him when he's around.. ain't never done me nothin' good. Mans caused me nothen but hell my whole damn life. Aint got one scar that didn't come from him. He's about as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle."

"My big brother Merle's no better, He's gone to hell in a hand basket, always brawling. Can't blaim him non aint easy breaking out of the old man's shadow. Merle's just big and mean, and he was headin' in the same direction, till he joined up. Lost contact with him when he was on the west coast though. Daryl shakes his head in shame of his brother for leaving him behind.

Haven't 'eard from em in months has our mama worried sick, maybe he's playen possum. Mama, I'd be in the ground if it wasn't for her, hoping once the money comes in, it can be sent to her, maybe then she can leave my asshole of an old man, the fucking cruel bastard." His fist shaking at his side, wishing just once he could lay into the old man without the threat of harm to his mama or the worries of having to do time behind closed bars.

"It's no wonder I haven't seen you before around town, I'd hide out in the woods to." Carol warmly smiles looking at him.

Daryl steps back from her his muscles becoming ridged and his fists shake with barely controlled outrage, "I aint never hiding," he growls out between clenched teeth "Got nothen to hide from."

"I didn't mean it in a bad way Daryl." Carol lets a whimper slip threw her words as she backs away from him with her hands ready to take defense resting at her side.

"Aint you a peach yer no better than them people, sticking yer nose into someone elses business. You don't know a damn thing about me, thinkin' I'm hiding, just go you know what I was wrong don't want to be here, next thing I know you're going to make this all about my family issues or some crap like that, ya you don't know jack bout me." he looks at her with accusing acquisitions behind his eyes, his words cutting her heart up inside.

Daryl's words start to descend into a gentler tone as he sees her body start to shake, and the way she has stepped back into a defensive position, as though she too has been hit before and is expecting him to start pounding on her. Daryl takes a deep breath clearing his mind and allowing his body to unwind before he starts to speak in a lost boyish voice, "I'm sorry woman, ne'er hit a woman before and I aint gonna start now. Been through hell and back, know better than anyone pain that shit causes. Never have had life to live my way."

"Come'ere Woman, I aint gonna hurt ya."

Things got quiet after that, Carols tension ridden body returning to normal as she finds Daryl's words to have a ring of truth and trusts them. Daryl grows quiet as the two of them spend some time picking skipping stones up and sending them out across the water. Every now and again one of them would gain an ounce of confidence to sneak a peek at the other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Both lost in wonder about the strange connection that hung between them.

They found that the silence that hung in the air around them wasn't uncomfortable, more peaceful and soothing. As their heart rates returned to a more normal rhythm, neither one of them noticed how they were shifting closer to each other. Longing for that feeling once more that connected them in an unnamed way. The longer they spent in the forest the more their two auras seemed to settle down and relax enough to wrap around each other.

~Wondering Travelin Soldier~

Unsure if it is safe to break the silence. Carol clears her throat before speaking out In what she believes to be a shockingly clear voice, "We don't get to choose our lives, we only get the choice of what we do with the cuts that bleed and cause scars that deep, they'll never go away no matter how long it takes or what you do to try and heal them." She notices Daryl's body relaxing all the more at the sound of her voice, as she turns with a gentle grace upon her toes and grasps a hold of Daryl's hand and begins to walk.

Tugging playfully at his hand, she tries to remind him to keep a slow pace while walking beside her, Carol smiles up at him. "I recently found this place when I came out here to explore for a quiet place to read. I like reading and writing poems, well more like song lyrics really. I have hopes of joining a collages marching band or the choir when school starts up in September. I play the piccolo."

He snickers at her; "what a sissy instrument." she turns with a smile on her face and pops his shoulder with her right hand. "Isn't anything wrong with it, or with wanting to be in a marching band or wanting to sing, in fact you'll be doing a bit of marching yourself soon, wont cha soldier boy."

"Ya, I guess yer right," Daryl says in a defeated hoarse voice.

After a little while they went down and they sat on the pier. Watching the sun as it started to make its decent into the earth along the edge of the lake. Clearing his throat and in an uncertain voice he asks "I betcha got a boyfriend, but I don't care, I've got no one to send a letter to, would you mind if I sent one back here to you?" He's beyond nerves asking a gal he just met and lashed out at and starting to feel for in such a short amount of time, if he could write her, but he's starting to feel a change for his future overcome him, _maybe its hope_ he wonders.

"I'd like that very much Daryl." Carol voices in awe, wonderment and maybe a little bit of hidden fear of being harmed again. But being asked by this brave damaged man sitting beside her is over coming her other emotions and letting confidence and longing sneak threw her barrier.

As Daryl continues to rattle on, he doesn't see the look of joy that is there chasing away the fear in her eyes, or the brilliance of the smile that is falling upon her lips. As she is sitting up straighter listening to him ramble away her spirit is taking flight and soaring in to the twilight sky to meet with the moon, only for it to burst into a thousand stars upon contact and once again turn into the butterflies in her stomach who take flight once more.

Daryl not realizing that he is stumbling over his words so fast that he doesn't hear her answered reply. He doesn't take notice of how his words are falling upon her ears and how they are making her spirits soar, as he feels like his are sinking into a cloud of loneliness and despair.

"I know we just met and all, I doubt you'd want white trash like me written you. Can't blame ya if you don't, not someone as good and gentle as ya would want a scarred man like me there's too much bad runnin' threw out my veins to think that there's anythang worth trying to save."

"Carol I've never known this… whatever it is hangen between us before meetin' you, never known a touch of good till I met you, Yer fucking beautiful woman." He whispers glancing up nervously to catch a glimps of her eyes.

Carol leans forward in confidence, placing the lightest touch of her lips along his for a quick barely there kiss. "I said, it's alright Daryl." Carol not knowing Daryl has never been caught off guard by a kiss before watches as he sits there in shock as a hundred emotions race threw out his body as she leans in and places another gentle touch of her mouth against his. Once more his blood is racing threw his veins and his hearts pounding almost painfully within his ribs.

Never before had he ever felt himself becoming accustomed to such an intimate contact that when he finally brakes out of his trance he's surrounded in wonder. His entire body is trembling under waves of pleasure and grief, a grief that is weighing on his chest like a thousand pound weight.

_why the fuck couldn't I of found her before, someday she'll have a beautiful life, know you'll be a sun in somebody else's sky Carol, I doubt I'll make it out of this fucking war alive, but why, why can't it fucken be my life, my fucken sun, __**mine**__. _His mind growls in response to its own questions figuring he'll never get this chance again and he might as well take it. Daryl daring to put what he felt to be his unworthy hands upon her body gently lifts Carol up by the waist lifting her off the pier and places her gently in his lap.

"Don't, don't say anythang I know its moven faster than it ought to, is that alright?" he whispers into her ear as he kisses her cheek, sending a thousand bolts of lightning shooting straight to her stomach.

Entwining their fingers together she leans down planting a kiss on his knuckles. Sighing in contentment she leans back into him. "It's alright," she whispers staring out over the water and into the calming tranquility of the forest.

"Good, cuz I like ya here." he pauses "I'll write ya, I promise," his words ghosting over the top of her head as he pulls her a little tighter against him. "Good, I'm not scared, I'm not runnin'." Carol's voice is smiling as she replies.

As Daryl becomes more accustomed to her touch and the warmth her body is giving of and seeping into him he relaxes his senses. He can smell the scent of lavender coming of her hair as he pulls her ribbon out. Pocketing her ribbon, knowing it'll help him to remember the scent of her and the color of her eyes. A memento to remind him of good times, the best he has known yet, while he is parted from her by training for a war.

Snuggling into the warmth of him, Carol tips her head back, placing a quick kiss on his chin while looking up in to his eyes, "You'd better, as soon as you arrive, I best get a letter I'll be holden you to that promise soldier."

Daryl smiles placing a proper kiss on her lips before she leans her head back along his chest where she can listen to the drumming of his heart. She listens to the rhythmic beating, the humming of it as she blends together notes of poetry in her head. A harmonic piece of music that she knows at a later date she will turn into lyrics to treasure in his absence.

~ Wondering Travelin Soldier~

The two of them sitting there taking in the peace of the setting sun as a full moon rises into the sky. The smells of the forest and the sounds of the surrounding animals make as they awoke from their daylight slumber. Becoming lost in the presence of the one holding her, Carol takes in the warmth of Daryl's body, as he relaxes into her touch. Neither one knowing if they will ever be able to have such a calming effect overcome them again.

Sitting in the silence absorbing the aura of comfort that surrounds the forest and the two sitting in it, they can't help but to commit this to memory knowing that after this ends their unlikely to ever feel this comfort again for an uncertain amount of time. With Daryl heading off to basic training and then possible into a horrible gruesome war, neither one knows what the present future may hold for them.

The thought of months and unfathomable time spent in separation makes the strength of their arms and spirits tighten all the more, Daryl peers away from carol. Exploring with his eyes and seeing a bush of Cherokee roses blooming in the night air along the pier of the lake, Daryl reaches over and plucks one of the blooming flowers. As he pulls her hair away from her neck exposing the hollow of her neck and the slope of her ear, he tucks the flower there behind her ear placing a warm sensual gentle kiss upon her neck.

Resting his head on her shoulder, Daryl gains confidence as he trails warm open mouth kisses between each word as his lips travel up her shoulder to meet the hollow of her neck, "A Cherokee rose to help remind you, so you don't forget me Carol." _This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning. _Carol can't help but think.

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Thank you for reading please let me know if ya liked it or feel free to flame, never know what one may need to improve on. Yes, I know they might be a little ooc but really we never know how they would react in such a situation unless they where put in one. Just wanted to warn you ladies that my hubby is going on leave so I'm not gonna be able to post everyday like I want to, but I'm sure gonna try to get somethen out at least once a week and once his month of leave is over I'll be able to get updates out quicker. oxox Tula


	3. Chapter 3 When you say nothen' at all

**Thank you ladies all of you who have been here since I posted the first chapter to now and any who are just now given this a chance. Thanxs for giving it a chance. If I could I would reach threw this screen and hug ya all. Updates are going to be slower. sorry, hubbys home with me for a month and I'm gonna get in all the time with him I can. I'll be picken up the pace once the month is over so if you could just bare with me i'd be mighty appreciative. Hope you all are have a wonderful Morning afternoon or evening. stay safe. oxox Tula **

**I do not own or make any form of profit or money from the walking dead and the charactores in it or from travelin soldier by the dixie chicks or When you say nothing all. If I did though, I'd find away to bring Merle back from the dead. oxox**

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**Chapter 3 When you say nothen' at all.**

**_Never gonna hold the hand of another guy Too young for him they told her Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier Our love will never end Waitin' for the soldier to come back again Never more to be alone  
When the letter says a soldier's coming home_**

_There's something about sitting in the darkness of the night that can remind me of just how big this world is, and how far apart we are going to be. The stars alone look so close and so far away tonight that if I could I would reach out and touch one of them, but I can't and soon he will be just like them stars, and all I'm going to be left with is that great big moon hanging there. I wonder if when he is gone from me if I was to stare long enough up at that moon and see a shooting star fly past it, that I might have the chance to make a wish. _

Later into the hours of the evening Daryl could be found sitting on the pier lost in his thought. Wonderment and unfathomable amounts of joy where rolling threw his body, here he was the son of a no good drunk, holding her. He didn't know what good he had done for the gods to allow this angel to rest peacefully in his arms. But there she rested curled up in his lap with her ear resting against his chest. No doubt she had drifted off to sleep while listening to his heart beat drumin' out its words of longing. Longing for what Daryl wasn't quite sure, all he was sure of, was the fact that whatever was happening between them, he wanted, no he longed for more._ More time getting to know Carol, more peace no one mocking me and my hummin' bird.… _He liked the sound of that, even if it was only spoken in his mind. _Got myself ah fallen hummin' bird sure as fuck don't deserve an angel like her._

Carol had been resting here with her eyes closed and her hand curled around the leather strap securing his crossbow to him for a while now. She wasn't quite sure when she had lost the sounds of the forest. The tranquility of its evening noises blurring and melting away all sound, but that of Daryl's heart beating as her fingers played with the worn leather of the strap across his chest._ If only this could be real, if only what I feel could be true, but it's happened so quickly. I'd stay here forever if it were real, but only time could stand still. Then all of my doubts could wash away somehow. But can I be brave? How do I be brave without the pain of being hurt?_

The consistent beckoning of his heart beating steadily was begging her to fall asleep. The rhythm of its rhythmic beating tapping out colors of unfulfilled promises and lyrics to her ever ready listening ear, notes that she could hear being changed into lyrics of a wayward love song. A song filled with new adventures and a promising love full of trust that could be awaiting them, while lying there hearing his every breath he would take into his lungs, and each exhale as it would make its way out past his lips. Carol is lost to the world around her as she begins to softly hum.

"What's that your hummin?" Daryl asks bringing her out of her own little trance of being lost in him.

Carol gives a shake of her head as she is transported out of the notes and lyrics dancing threw out her mind. "Just a few lines made up of words coming from your beating heart." She had been sitting there in his embrace lost in the feeling of him, but now she was filled with fear and uncertainty that hung between them.

"I could sing them for you?" He agrees with her giving a shake of his head.

Carol clears her mind, searching for a moment to gain the right starting cord that will set the correct notes for the instrument that was her soft sweet soprano voice. _It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart Without saying a word you can light up the dark Try as I may I could never explain What I hear when you don't say a thing._ When her voice dared to come to a pause for an intake of breath Daryl couldn't help but to take that sweet breath from her in that moment and taste her lips and all of the emotions that lingered there.

~Wondering Travelin Soldier~

As early evening slowly slipped into nights woven blanket as it fell upon and wrapped around the two would be lovers on the land. The clouds became thicker heavier as the humidity made its rise upon the surrounding terrain. The insects of the forest quieting as their neighboring animals sought out shelter from the oncoming summer storm, which was preparing to burst open from the clouds.

No longer hearing the sounds of the surrounding night's forest Daryl breaks out of his train of thought. Taking in his environment he can't help but notice the time of day that's slipped away. While his eyes take in the differences from day to night he feels the first droplets of a warm summer's rain.

Daryl tightens his grasp on her not quit yet ready to lose this feeling and let her go. _Damn don't deserve her anyways. Too damn good for me. Don't wanna let er go, I aint no good for her though. Here comes the rain gods how I hate the fuckin' rain, here comes goodbye._

Taking in a deep breath allowing his sent to fill her lungs imprint and commit in to her memory. Carol sits up noticing the sound of pitter patter of the rain. Pulling out her tablet of paper and a pen she quickly writes her address and number before the rain can wash it away and tucks it safely into Daryl's shirt pocket. She finishes tucking it away in the nick of time as the thunder clouds over head open up relieving them of their heavy burden.

Carol crawls out of Daryl's embrace and climbs to her feet. She takes a slow spin around taking in the smell and the feel of the night rain. Her childish giggles filling the night air. The corners of Daryl's mouth twitched in amusement causing a smile to slip across his face before he scrawls up at the rain as a look of despair over comes his eyes. He manages to climb to his unsteady legs and turns away from her as she is dancing in the rain.

Daryl starts his trek back around the lake retracing his steps to where he has dropped his duffle bag off to rest at the tree line. Carol stops in her spinning of wonderment _where's he going? Why is he walking away? Have I done something to hurt him? Have I done something wrong?_

_Just walk away, make it easier just gotta walk the fuck away, before I sink into hell. I'll just walk away from this so that I can fuckin' forget, don't wanna see the look of hurt on her._

Carol allows her last thought to slip from her mind and past her lips in a whisper that carries on the wind, "Have I done something wrong?"

"Hate the rain; don't need it ruin in my bow. Hate how it takes away the light, and sounds of the night. I've never liked the rain. It reminds me of the worse of nights." The words come out of Daryl's mouth in a deep southern growl he knows they are just an excuse away of hiding the real him. He bends over to pick up his duffle bag. Upon picking it up, he turns around in hopes of getting a last glimpse of Carol. Only to end up dropping his bag at his feet in order to catch her in his arms as she takes a running leap at him.

Not bothering to be ashamed of the way she is allowing her wanton emotions to rule over her actions, Carol doesn't hesitate to close her eyes while bringing her arms up and around his neck and closing in on his lips to passionately kiss him. At first Carol was placing her soft gentle lips upon him in feather light kisses that he wasn't responding to.

Carols confidence was braking up as Daryl brought her down to where her feet met with the wet earth as the lightning streaked across the sky the warmth of her lips was lingering on Daryl's skin as time between each kiss was realized to be one sided. Daryl releases Carol's hips from his grasp as she unwinds her arms from around his neck. Her agonizing pain filled eyes open to rest upon his face as she lays a lingering hand on his face.

Carol nods her head in understanding considering that she might have pushed him to far as she comes to an agreement in her head that _this is it this is how their story ends this night, ends before it could truly begin._ As she removes her hand from his face his warmth still lingering on the tips of her fingers. She takes a step away, and then another.

Daryl takes a deep breath in filling his lungs with the scent of her at the loss of her touch, as his fog induced mind clears. The raining clouds part in the sky allowing just enough moons light threw for him to see her broken hearted face at the crippling sadness and the unbearable guilt she feels is there with in her presence, hurt from being the one to try, as he was the one to drift away.

~Wondering Travelin Soldier~

_"Doing the right thing and the easy thing are never the same. There has to be a crack in the darkness, that's how the light makes its way in." _Carol whispers out loud to herself as she continues her walk, an arm's length away from Daryl as her steps become lead filled.

Daryl stepping forward placing a hand on carol's shoulder spinning her back around and into the safety of his arms. "Shut up woman, didn't say you could leave me. Can't ya give a guy a minute for his brain to catch up with his body," he asks her as his head swoops down making its decent upon her in a devouring kiss.

Carol finds herself whimpering against his lips as he dares to grasp her lower lip between his teeth. Holding her chin in a delicate grip, he slows his kisses treasuring the feeling he never thought to experience again.

Her eyes pleaded with his, but she dare not make another sound for fright of running him off. He brought his hand up to her face as his body responds to her sensual body's call. Tilting his head down to kiss along her neck, she moans at the sensation and uses both of her hands to bring his head closer to the spot he was claiming. He kissed the pressure point there and continued. By pulling her all the more closer while his hands found her waist as she stretches upon her toes to kiss him again.

Daryl lets out a husky feral growl and allows her to continue. They kiss passionately, unhurriedly as if they have all the time in the world, and no war awaits them after. Carol kissed him as if she wanted to feel all of him for the first and the last time. When she pressed her lips to his warm neck; all logical thought began to drift away like the rain was sweeping away the heat of the land.

"Daryl You are Here with me I need you to listen when I say You are not worthless, they made you feel as though you are, but you aren't and you don't have to be broken. You can have honor."

Daryl's body shutters in unknown delight at her words only to have her lips be captured by his and to have her ardently responding, Daryl was relishing in the many new sensations sweeping threw out his body. Amazed at her responses and hopen he didn't fumble this up. Carol pulled away smiling nervously as if she could hear his mind running. Daryl nuzzles her neck in response to her sigh of contentment at his unexpected gentle gesture.

Carol looked up, and upon looking seeing into Daryl's eyes that he was wearing no disguise and that what he was feeling was displayed there only for her eyes to see. Pulling his head down once more for another kiss, he wondered _why would she kiss me so completely, I'm nothen', her lips are fire against mine and that's a fuckin' miracle._ Never had someone dared to touch him so intimately. As he tasted her lips all of his emotions fled away, all accept the longing to desire her forever.

Daryl grasped Carols hand in his and walked back over near to the trees bending over picking up his duffle bag they began to make their return walk back to the bus station. But never before as his suffering been compared to this monstrous agony that was overcoming his body at the thought of having to leave Carol. Moments ago he had everything he had ever wanted; he hadn't ever known this feeling that was sweeping him away. The feeling of loss, how could he ever endure this aching?

Their steps slowed as they made their way out of the forest and back to the drowning garish brightness of the city's lights. Approaching the bus terminal Daryl looks around seeking out a clock, he's remember his place once more and knows that the time is drawing near for him to make his departure. Upon finding the clock mounted there on the wall of the station his breath leaves him in a long drawn out sigh. His time here with Carol is nearly over.

~Wondering Traveling Soldier~

Noticing the sparse amount of bystanders standing around the transfer station Daryl encloses her tiny waist within his hands. He stands and presses in to her forcing her to walk backwards into a wall. His lips leaving urgent and possessive hungry kisses, trailing from the curve of her elegant neck up to meet her lips in a longing embrace. His mouth forcefully pressing into hers as his hand lifts up and knots into her hair.

She pushes herself more forcefully into him, finding pure pleasure in his strong muscular solid arms constricting to fold around her ever so slightly. She was filled with wanting. For what, she didn't know her mind was to overly veiled to grasp for an understanding. As her surrounds make their way back to her threw her fog induced mind she can feel Daryl's arms slipping away from waist and his kisses are no longer there, they are nothing more now than his warmth lingering upon her lips.

A thundering crack of shock travels threw out Daryl's rapidly stiffening body, as their ears begin to pick up the shameful whispered gossip and accusations of the surrounding bystanders. He releases his hold on her placing his hands flat on the ruff surface of the brick wall behind Carol's body efficiently trapping her in a cage of his arms and body. Daryl's heart pounding in his chest, as he stares down at his feet making no eye contact with Carol as his body braces for a fight as the words around them become louder. Carol takes in the strength of his muscles as she lifts her hands up to place them on his shoulders. The only way she knows to comfort him at the moment.

"Look, isn't that one of the Dixon boys? Those cuts run deep so deep that he's got scars, I've seen them, and he's got that kind, that can't be healed." A nurse standing there in her uniform surrounded by her children whispers to her husband. _What scars are they speaking of Daryl, I've seen non on your body?_ Daryl's hands form fists along the wall, "don't know shit she's talken about. Aint got nothen there."

"What is he doing to her, does she need help? Maybe we should save her before she ends up like his mother?" An elderly set of men smoking cigars standing around on the sidewalk in a group discuss. Carols taken aback by the men's words and can feel herself growl in Daryl's mama's defense. _They don't know my mama ain't none of them old chimneys ever been willen to help her, never would I hurt you hummin' bird._

"No wonder her mama shipped her here that hussy, Hershel should send her back." "Maggie says she sells her body for men's

pleasure and that she likes it ruff, she's seen the bruises," "Is that right no wonder she's letting Dixon man handle her like that," "she looks like something the cat drug in" two teenage girls insanely jealous of the affections being place on Carol say harshly out loud for all nearby to hear. Carol's hands fall away from Daryl's shoulders and she places them in a defensive poise across her chest as she folds into herself. Leaning her trembling body all the more into the hard brick wall, to gain some distance away from Daryl's vibrating body.

"What bruises? What fucken men that shit just aint right" She gives an audible whimper just loud enough to reach Daryl's ears at his spoken words reach her mind and it recalls the well hidden damaged done before to her body.

With a growing strength in her body Carol uncurls and steps up to Daryl being weary of his strength as she wraps her arms around his waist, his arms now lying limp at his side, her hands run up the back of his shirt, touching the noticeably raised scars hidden there._ Please Daryl don't pull away_. Her mind and presence screams at him. He pulls his head back away looking at her; she whispers up at him, "Its ok, I've got them too Daryl."

Looking down at her having a hard time believing her words Daryl lifts up his arms raising his hands to her back, resting them there on the layers of her cloths. He lowers one hand to the hemline of her shirt, "Is it alright?"

Carol gives a nod of her head her eyes out of reach of his as he slips his hand in under her three layers of clothing. He can feel a jagged scar there as he caresses it his hand lightly running up and down the length of her back.

Anger over comes him like a shockwave of unrestrained fury takes over his body sending his heart rate up, as his eyes grow darker he looks down at Carol's eyes finding his reflection there and in a voice of recognition he tells her, "FUCK! That shit aint right, ne'ver gonna happen again. I fucking mean it woman, aint no one gonna lay his fuckin' hands on ya, not if I'm around, I fucking swear it."

Taken aback by his promise she whispers "I trust you Daryl."

"The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience. Who is to say he isn't the one that put them bruises there, she's ain't knee high to a grasshopper." A fellow man standing there in his army greens comments to the teenage girls as his harsh words go rolling right of their skin like an ice cold chill drifting away with the breeze in the air.

Daryl takes a step back, but not too far away that he removes his arms to where he can't feel the warmth of her body_. Are ya of age?_ Her body language seems to cry out _of course I am_.

"I guess what they say is true, when you dance with the devil, the devil doesn't change. The devil changes you." One of the watchers a teenage boy that frequents the café Carol works at says loud enough to reach their ears. With an expiration of loathing and hate for Daryl written across his face, he stares openly at the accused couple.

"Have you ever considered that I might be the devil?" Daryl asks Carol playfully loud enough for those standing around to hear him as his body reminds him of his close proximity to Carol and not wanting to cause her any harm pushes her back up against the wall. His hard body pressing into hers. "I have many times." He says, his voice giving off a hauntingly dark husky sound.

"My daddy said you wasn't worth a lick and when it came to brains you got the short end of the stick But David, he was wrong honey and you are too She's looken at Daryl like I still look at you, she's in love with that boy and what is meant to be will always find a way, even around this war." One middle age lady sitting nearby on a bench says to her husband sitting at her side.

Daryl leans into her allowing the tension in his body to sweep away. He raises his head to whisper into her ear, "Ignore the shit they say, not worth the gunpowder it'll take to blow em away." Sending a shiver racing threw out her body, no longer frightened by their accusations, seeing that Daryl doesn't care for their whispers.

~Wondering travelin soldier~

Grabbing a hold of his bag and one of Carol's hands they begin their decent to the line of bright colored buses that are pulling up along the street. Now standing in front of his bus, the one that is going to be the start of his long agonizing journey away from her, Carol pulls on one of his hands, to get his attention focused on her. _Never gonna hold the hand of another guy._

"Daryl If we're gonna make this work, if you are going to write me, You gotta learn to trust. Let me inside even if it's just the smallest part of you or the tiniest of thoughts. Even if all you can share is the weather don't hide. I need to hear of any part of you, you can share." She says while starring into his blue eyes seeking out his answers there.

Carol felt excitement race threw out her body as she listened to his low, seductive voice as he moved behind her pulling her into a tight embrace his body pressed into her from behind letting her feel his need for her. "This is all the 'me' you'll ever know, wouldn't like the real me." _No one ever has_. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest as he turned her body around. "Whatever it takes woman, if ya give me one fucking chance Carol and fate gives me a damn break and keeps us together, know you deserve better, but I'm a man of many actions and few words. No more runnin' for either of us not from our pasts and not from the comen' future. If we do this, we do it together, ya hear me woman your **_mine_**."

Softly he traces her fine porcelain waist with his hands. Memorizing the curves and shape of her as she holds tightly to his arms he makes a silent oath _never gonna lose you now that I've found you, life without'cha just aint worth liven'. _With one last lingering look full of silent whispering words hanging between them hidden within their souls Daryl turns Carol around in his arms and grabs the back of her neck, kissing her hard enough to bruise their lips. He frowns as she pulls her head back and looks up at his face, to find his mouth is set in a hard line, "love you, Daryl." She says throwing her arms around his neck. A sob escapes her lips when she feels his body stiffen, he purposely shoves her away before he's lost all strength of his emotions and he walks over and board his bus.

* * *

So I know its a cliffy and I honestly didn't mean to do it, I'll do my best to get the next chapter out while on the road. Hope you all enjoyed it. Would love any ideas or things you might like to see. oxox


	4. Chapter 4 A souls longing

**Hello ladies, I hope you all are doing well this summer and if your in the heat wave areas I hope you stay safe. I had quiet a few people asking why our favorite couple where moving so fast and where going non stop on the kissen. Well, have you ever met someone and you just happened to click with them so well that you can feel your souls merging together. The kind of connection where you feel as though you have met a lost long friend. That is the feeling that our two here are going threw. When there is a dark cloud over the land and good is fighting to defeat evil, it will often search out those twin flames and soul mates out there to connect them. To give the mated spirits a chance to survive, for often enough one will not live long with out the help of another. Daryls journey in this story is not going to be an easy one. This is a story of love and war, the love and heart ache that can be found in them as well as the strength it takes for a woman to love her soldier. Thank you to all who have been keeping up with this story and those of you who may be giving it a try. oxox Tula**

**I don't own the walking dead or its weaving of people in the show. Don't own Shinedowns I'll follow you. I do not make any form of profit from writing this story. **

* * *

**Chapter 4 A Souls Longing**

**_So the letters came from an army camp In California then Vietnam And he told her of his heart it might be love And all of the things he was so scared of_**

_"There is no point in jumping off a Cliff when you have already fallen from one." _Carol spoke out in to the full moons light shining down from overhead. The moons light covering the land around her in its luminescence of beauty acting as her light in the dark. The clouds clinging to the evening sky invoking a dark shadow of peacful quit that hung around the surrounding area wraping Carol up into a draping blanket of nights whispering wonders, reminding her of her time spent many moons ago with Daryl. The night she had come to know of a silent strength found within the quiet hunter. The very same hunter that she had only known for such a short amount of time but on that night had felt timeless. Her soul her very spirit had felt such a strong connection to his that when she had told Daryl of her love for him, she knew that she had moved for to fast. She had stood there in amazement as those 3 little words had left her mouth, only to watch as his back grew rigid and his muscles pulled taunt as he shoved her away and quickly fled to his bus.

She could only regret his last few second reactions. She could never regret the feeling that he invoked and called forth from so deep inside her that her soul yearned for it even now. As she sits out in the back yard on the old tire swing listening to the cricket's frogs and cicadas sing their night time love songs. Gently swinging in the night time's breeze upon the old tire swing connected to the strong willow tree. Carol lulls back and forth listening to the melody playing from the radio not too far from her. Her hand grasping the knotted frayed rope hanging from the tree, and in her other hand her future, or her nightmare. Holding on to a letter sent to her from Birming Ham Alabama the date post marked on it a week old was tightly grasped in her hanging hand. She was pondering on opening it, but hadn't as of yet for worry of rejection. Why break her heart now more than it already was when she could put it off until later.

As she sat swinging there Carol remembers all of the energy she spent waiting for this letter and the joys she felt for when it came. Yet at the same time she can recall the entire heart ache she had been put through while waiting for word from him. He had promised though, and she had felt at the time that he had conviction in his voice as he had voiced his words so strongly that she could still hear the ringing of truth behind them in her ears. As she could still recall the rhythm of his heart beat tapping out the lyrics to a song. A song that was currently half way completed In her beloved note book. A note book of lyrics she hoped to someday share with him. For the notebook was her greatest treasure, and within it held the pieces that tied her soul together.

~Wondering travelin soldier~

~***_Flashbacks_***~

She had returned to the farm she was currently calling home later on that night. Only to come face to face with Maggie, standing at the bottom of the stairs, desiring to know where she had been at out so late. Recalling Maggie's friends harsh taunting earlier that evening upon seeing her cousin's face made Carol's blood race throughout her veins. Giving her the adrenalin rush she needed to put enough force behind her flying fist. A fist that was making a fast dissent into Maggie's jaw, a right hook strong enough to nock her on her ass, with a swelling already forming along it.

"You deserve that, for telling lies about me to your cheap gossiping friends. I am and never will be a harlot of the night. How could you Maggie, how could you say that about me when you know what my father and ex husband was like? You know what they did to me and put me threw, the kind of life I had untill I could find a way to brake away. I thought I could trust in you… you're ment to be my blood not water. I guess I was wrong."

Turning away from Maggie's crumpled form still lying there on the hard wood floor, with her family now taking in the scene with watchful eyes, Carol makes a run up the stairs to the attic where her new room lies. Falling onto her bed in a fetal position cradling the only reminder she had of him as she closed into herself. The tears falling in a steady stream down her face as she looks down at the Cherokee rose now cradled against her chest held in her hands. While she misses the warmth of Daryl's arms already she can't help but to remember how he pushed her away and at the same time wishing they could enclose her in his silent strength once more as she drifted off into a fit full rest.

Carol awoke spending that morning and all the following mornings after that night in a trance. Half of her was awake and alert dealing with the everyday chores of helping to run a farm day in and out. Working at the café was a gods send and a curse a gift that allowed her to leave the confines of the farm. Carol worked hard throwing herself into her work often picking up added hours and shifts Andrea had no wanting of.

She'd seen better days

Her days where spent forcing her mind to keep busy. Closing her ears off to the town's babbling gossips, her curse. She's had enough of their horrid dirty lies of untruths. Their stuck up noses raised in the air while pointing and whispering behind their hands.

_"Would you look at that slag, how dare she show her face around here? Trying to pick up our good towns men." "Look gents, an easy skirt,." "Hussy, street corner walk, Dixons used washed out old laundry. Red mans whore."_

Though a few towns' people smiled upon her when she did dare to look up and meet their eyes. The kind eyes of a stranger filled with a knowing twinkle. A twinkle that filled her with hope that sent her soul soaring, the kindness of a few surely outweighed the hate of the many in her heart.

Carol's nights where filled with longing. A longing so deep it caused any and all agony to consume her very being as though it was snuffing out the very light that she used to guide her way during her long drawn out days. It was filling her heart with lead and her soul with a crippling doubt. That the few precious hours spent together meant something, anything at all to him. Even if all he wanted was to remain friends. That would have been fine with her. The wanting to hear his voice to read his written words in a letter was terrifying to her. To have such a longing for someone already after such a short amount of time knowing him her soldier, her hunter, Daryl.

_A fortunes fool Carol felt she was. She had coward at those horrid girls' _words the instant they had mentioned her bruises and scars. It had felt as though all of the occupants sharing the same air as her, had turned to her in accusation and gawked at her, as if they had x ray vision and could look upon her skin. To see the terrifying horrendous marks that where embedded into her skin, so deeply that they had left marks across her heart and wounds of empty hollowed out holes upon her soul. Holes that for the one night she had spent with in Daryl arms had been filled like a matching jigsaw piece by Daryl'slacerated webbing of a soul.

Her heart had gone around the bend along with her mind; she had just about lost it that night. To think a man she found to be honorable and brave willing to fight for his country. A man who had fought his own demons, and won only to have come out of it with his own battle scars. For him to lay his hands upon her back and not shriek away, for wanting anything to do with her hideous scarred form. After months and what at times felt like years of feeling like she was the worthless one. Had felt while in his arms loved wanted and cherished.

Now here she was seeking some form of a hint that she hadn't moved to quickly with what she had felt, and that he too had noticed the unnamed emotion that had connected him to her one moment and had chased him away the next. She was ashamed of herself for being so brash as to tell him she loved him in that moment. She knew it was too fast to soon.

That she often found herself outside underneath the light of the moon. The moon, now and days known as her only companion. She could once upon a time turn to Beth and Maggie her cousins her blood but she no longer had trust in Maggie and Beth seemed to be drifting into her own despair now and days. An aura of sadness surrounding the girl as deeply as carols own darkness. Beth often sought out Carol as an anchor in her own despairing emotions.

**_~* End of Flashbacks*~_**

**_~Wondering travelin soldier~_**

Carol becomes aware of her surroundings slowly, the first noise she takes in is that of soft footsteps. The sound of the gravel path being walked upon pulls her away from her memories. Her mind crawls up out of the drifting fog as her thoughts blur and melt away. When she finally manages to find her way out of the depths of her mind she takes in the presence of someone sitting behind her.

Carol turns the tire swing with one slipper clad foot. The full moons light presenting her with the sight of a nightgown clad Beth. There she found a change in the girl, tonight Beth looked as though the dark clouds that hung over her head had been swept away. She was no longer looking like death warmed over. Her long blond hair was brushed and hanging loose around her scantily clad shoulders. Her eyes where clear of pain and an emptiness for the first time in weeks. The hazel color of her eyes was shining through with relief and twinkling like a star in the night's sky. Smiling up at carol from her seated position again the willow tree as the two of them sat there like two peas in a pod Beth holds up a letter for Carol's eyes to see. "I see you too have a letter, I'll share with you mine if you share with me yours?"

Carol's taken aback in wonderment is suddenly lost for words. As she straightens to move away from the tire swing with a skip in her step, she makes her way over to Beth sitting down to join her. "Shall we open them together?" Carol's eyes are full of laughter looking at Beth in excitement as she comes to realize why her cousin has been so lost. For like herself Beth too had been waiting on word in a letter.

Beth leans into Carols shoulder resting her head there, "Is it from Daryl?" Carol smiles while a peaceful dreamy look overcomes her eyes.

"It sure is, how bout yours who's your boue?" Carol asks in wonderment. For she didn't even have the acknowledgment that Beth who was just a few days shy of her own 19 years was seeing someone.

"It's Merle, Daryl's older brother. We write to each other, can't let daddy and the others know about him. They wouldn't accept him even with how much he has grown in maturity all daddy, Maggie and the towns people will ever see in him is bad. They never have bothered to look past the front he puts on. Not even sure if Daryl has ever seen the truest him. He isn't what you think his is; our history well it's a long tale to tell." Beth blowing out a deep breath says while almost pleading with Carol to understand her with the look of defeat in her eyes.

How could it be Merle of all people? From what little Carol knew of her time spent with Daryl, Merle had not sounded like a male of Beth's type. But what did Carol know she had seen with her own eyes how harsh people of this town treated the Dixons. Maybe he had to keep up the front around Daryl as well, maybe to protect him..

Maybe Merle was just like Daryl and was simply just miss understood. For all she knew he carried the same burdens of having an abusive father. A hard life at hand when no one was willing to give him the help he needed in order to break away from his dads dark shadow. She decided then and there not the judge him till she got to meet him face to face. With those final words and an understanding coming over the two girls they look down at their letters contemplating the words hidden there with in them. Upon coming up with this decision of hers Carol lovingly strokes her hand over the letter and with one last glance at Beth, she opens it.

_ ~Wondering travelin soldier~ _

**_Some where's in Alabama July 17_****_th_****_1968_**

**_Carol, _**

**_Hummin' bird or Cherokee rose, Don't know I aint decided yet, it done feels like I've been rode hard and hung up wet to dry on this damn slow bus. Woman I'm sittin' here kickin' my own ass after walkin' away from ya I don't mean to make you feel jilted. Hell woman, I'm sorry, should of called ya and told ya sooner. Seeing as how I was surprised to find your number along with yer address in my shirt pocket. Don't' stay in one place long enough to call ya and this letter didn't come along directly it took me a bit of askin' a gun tote'n mama where I could pick up the materials. I've done been put through the damn ringer for my efforts in findin' all I needed when it came to written this. Couldn't even decide on what to say, fir start'rs its best I tells ya I aim to write ya a few of those lyrics you was talkin' of. _****_Now I aint a man that can carry a tune in a bucket not that I've ever done tried ya hear, so if you're gonna be mine don't ask me to sing no sappy love song. I can't even recall any lyric to that song you had been hummin'. I aint got one hint on what love is, all I know is what my old man done beat into me and that's, love, all it does is turn a man into a pussy. I know you probably hate me but I want you to give me a chance, know I suck at everythin' but I can try for you._**

**_Know that's not what you'd want to hear, this I know. Been sitten' on this damn bus pondering on what would make you say them words to someone like me, them words you told me right before I had to leave ya. While sitten' here these past 3 days with nothin' else to do but think, it got me realizin' shit about everythin'. _****_Way I done was raised up sure as fuck aint ideal, but mama sure did try and do the best she fuckin' could. Wouldn't know the first thing to how it's done the right way anyways. Seen and done thing wish I hadn't, there be things I wish I couldn't. Done decided on a few things I wish I could. So I'm figuren on just winging it best I know how while ya teach me, if yer up to it that is. Still got my skeletons to be facen' and more just around the bend, what will be, sure as hell will be right? So here goes nothin' or somethen', fuck if I know. Hope it gets ya to smilin'._**

**_Warm regards, _**

**_Daryl_**

**_P.S... Hope you don't mind bein' called one of them names they make me think of you._**

**_P.S.S. took me some then like 3 sheets of paper to get this shit written out right._**

**_"I'll Follow You" _**_  
If I could find assurance to leave you behind  
I know my better half would fade  
And all my doubt is a staircase for you  
Opened out of this space  
The first step is the one you believe in  
The second one might be profound._

I'll follow you down through the eye of the storm.  
Don't worry I'll keep you warm.  
I'll follow you down while we're passing through space  
I don't care if we fall from grace  
I'll follow you down

You can have the money and the world  
The angels and the pearls  
Even trademark the color blue  
Just like the tower we never built  
In the shadow of all the guilt  
When the other hand was pointed at you  
Yeah the first step is the one you believe in  
The second one might be profound.

I'll follow you down, through the eye of the storm  
don't worry I'll keep you warm.  
I'll follow you down, while we're passing through space  
I don't care if we fall from grace  
I'll follow you down to where forever lies  
Without a doubt I'm on your side  
There's nowhere else that I would rather be  
I'm not about to compromise, give you up to say goodbye  
I'll guide you through the deep I'll keep you close to me!

If I could find assurance to leave you behind  
I know my better half would fade  
I'll follow you down.

If you are willin' woman, my hummin' bird in a cherokee rose I'll follow you.

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Hope you all enjoyed I'm on leave with my soldier I'll do my best to get a chapter out at least once a week. As always please feel free to drop me a review or a pm. Even if you feel like flaming me Flames just let me know what you might think im doing wrong. If there is anything you would like to request feel free to let me know. Every review helps good or negative. Merle and Beths story will be in the next chapter... sry to those who don't enjoy meth. oxox Tula


	5. Chapter 5 The road less Traveled on

** You all are simply wonderful I thank you all for putting smiles on my face... I'm so pleased that your enjoying this story. Thank you so much for the feed back it really does help encourage a writer to keep moving forward. This story will have all the group members in it just not right away. Some will be coming in sooner then others. Leave is going well and the 4th was a blast. Got to watch the hubby light off fireworks for the first time in over 10 years. Silly man was out there with his brother teaching our kids what you shouldn't do after lighting them. Gives a whole new meaning to the rhyme jack be nimble... Men! Hope all who celebrated had a good safe time. May the rest of your Morning Afternoon Evening go well with the moon chasing away any woes of the day and may the sun renew you with a new beginning. oxox Tula**

**Warning Daryl does struggle in the beginning of this chapter we choose the road we walk upon in this life and that means braking out of the holds most of us have been forced into and become our own persons.**

**Disclaimer I do not nor will I ever make any sort of profit from the walking dead or its characters. Don't own or make any form of profit from I was broken. **

* * *

I was alone  
I was tired but now im bound  
My head is off the ground  
For a long time I was so weary  
Tired of the sound,I've heard before  
Knowing of the nights im out the door  
Haunted by the things i've made  
Stuck between the burning light and the dusty shade

Said I used to think the past was dead and gone  
But I was wrong, so wrong  
Whatever makes you blind must make you strong,make you strong  
In my time I've melted into many forms  
From the day that I was born,I know that there is no place to hide  
Stuck between the burning shade and the fading light

I was broken for a long time  
But it's over now  
Said I was broken for a long time  
But it's over now  
Robert Pattison's version of Marcus Foster's I was broken

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Chapter 5 The road less traveled on

His mind had him trapped. For the past few days hours seconds Daryl wasn't sure any more of the passing of the time. He was only aware of the passing miles on the road. The road that was taking him further away from Carol. Daryl knew that he could feel the ticking of the clock that designated from his own hearts beating to match the bumps the bus tires seemed to always find along the uneven paved road. He had felt caged for a while now by mental chains and bars that where restraining him deep down into the dark depths of his own mind. Lost in the hollowed out emptiness of it as though he had been drifting through out space and time with out a care in the world. He did care and his heart did feel and the loss it was feeling is what was sending his mind to become lost inside its own darkness.

Only a person who'd ever suffered and been through the pains of a broken life could understand that the hardships of finding forgiveness around you and in you is never an automatic given. Sometimes soul-searching and seeking the answers with in and praying to the great spirit wasn't enough and even after a spiritual walk it still wasn't always given or earned. It was more often than not hidden away in one's soul. So as far as Daryl knew you can never come completely free from the pains of ones own hate till you learned to forgive

_Why is it that we have a better memory of the bad things that are said and done to us, yet have very little recreation of the good things we found in our lives_? Sometimes telling the truth and thinking about it stung, but he had to do it. Not because it was the right thing to do, but because sometimes the truth can bring realization and enlightenment. He would never be able to purge the sights of horror and the fear his spirit knew from his soul.

So, while thinking of these questions and searching for the answers with in the thousand feelings that overshadowed him, letting go was the only option to the solution that Daryl had left. Not only was he heading into dangers untold that could wound him deeper then he already was. He was also on a new path a path that was less taken by those who had come before him. The pathway of letting go.

He often kept his reactions to his thoughts and feelings locked away behind hidden doors in his mind. Anger wasn't the emotion he battled now, but fear, fear that constantly sat beside him on his new journey into the new chapter in his life. It sat beside him there watching as he lowered his head trying to seek knew answers to his questions as if they were written there on his seat for him to read. It sat there in the form of his older brother Merle Knowing how he would feel with it in the form of his brother. He'd made the decisions and allowed the voices of the great spirit to enter his mind and thoughts in his brothers trusted form. He can hear off into the distance of his mind Merle's voice, "Darlenna, Pussyfooting around again, after all them years of tryin' to make a man out of you. All for what? Someone who thinks yer nothin' more than a freak, a red neck piece of yesterdays washed up trash. Boy your life is comen to a crossroads and you've got multiple pathways played ahead of ya."

The voice of his mama singing in his 6-year-old self's ears fills the silence left there by the spirit of his brother, _"Baby mine, don't you cry, Baby mine dry your eyes.. Ignore them my little hunter, the spirits watching over you and the ones you hold close to you are all that matters upon this earth."_

With his anger now dulling with the voice of his mama in his ears Daryl's senses returning to normal he sighs and realizes that Thunderers were certainly giving him his full dues for leaving her behind. _Damn you __dinadanvtli_ , I hope the Unetlanvhi of fate are helping Ayvdaqualosgi,give you your dues. Leavin' Uniitsi and I the way you did, it just aint right. 

_"Now don't you go off with your pistol half-cocked baby boy, you don't know where your dinadanvtli is and what he's goin threw."_ His Unitsi's voice reprimanding him rings threw out his ears echoing in his head.

He knew that while he was leaving behind his mama and Carol he was also leavin' behind a life tarnished by hate. He wanted to move on from the man fate had made him out to be. He wanted to walk the road destiny was laying out for him; make his mama proud of him. He would walk this path a man one that was strong and capable of taken care of what little family he had but most of all for Carol.

He felt possessive of Carol, and at the same time he felt a need to comfort her and hide her away from the cruel world he knew surrounded her. The spaces between the silences ached of her. He was left with a longing to wrap her in his arms and cover her in his scent he yearned to have her branded by him. That the thought of losing her before he had truly gained her caused him unmeasured heart ache. Well hung did destiny play him like a fool? How could he not love her?

shaking his head hard enough to rattle the emotions battling in his head with a force so strong that it rendered him temporarily senseless Daryl gives a low growl the sounds of which are torn from his soul of remorse he clamps his lips down and gasps desperately against the onslaught of tears. _"Cryen's for pussys boy,"_ Daryl whispers, his _dinadanvtli _ voice joining with his own in his mind.

Tears gathered in his eyes as the picture of his mama's stoic face reflected back at him in the reflection of the window as it joined with Carols. It sits there in the background of his mind, fighting to re-enter his vision. He gives a shake of his head, attempting to clear the thunderstorm rolling threw out it. These thoughts they were the reasons why he wanted to rid himself of his past and the ability to think. Dwelling on the past memories was poisonous to his soul. He didn't want to be drifting down the pathway set by Jistu the trickster rabbit. Recalling carols smiling face returns a calm to him that sweeps away the chains and bars that have kept him locked away in pain lost in his mind.

Daryl feels the lingering essence of her soul as it sweeps threw out his body. Awakening his doorment memories of happiness as he remembers her address safely tucked away in his pocket. As he quickly reaches up to wipe away the phantom tears from his eyes a ghostly smile spreads across his face. Her promise, such simple words he never knew could bring such comfort to him as he reaches for that scrap of paper resting close to his heart in his shirts pocket. Knowing that his mama could safely receive word from him in the form of letters thanks to Carol all reminisce of pain drifts away from his body. It floats away on the breeze of the open bus window making its way to the sky and up into the heavens where it would make its landing upon the sun and burst into a million shattered colors there.

He sat there thinking of Carol and the things she had said to him and the way she had made him feel. Feel like he could be better than what everyone said he could be even he believed her. A smile broke out across his face as he thought about her standing there dancing in the rain as he stood transfixed by her radiance. He was certain he had never seen anything as lovely before as she twirled in the summer rain droplets of water running down her face and her cloths clinging to the curves of her body.

The way she had made him felt when they kissed; he had never known such an emotion was possible for him. Hell Daryl was surprised he hadn't fucked it up and that she had pulled him all the more closer to her. He could have spent the rest of his whole damn life right there with her safely tucked away in his arms. She could have been the very life essence he needed to survive. She would be one way or another Daryl would become a man of honor a man his mama and Carol could be proud of. Even if that meant he had to leave them both to fight this stupid war over seas. He would fight with all the strength the Great Spirit would give him. Daryl would show the Great Hunters that when his time came to join them in the summer lands that he could ride with them.

Daryl didn't know when the next stop would be and he knew he would have to take this chance while he had all the time spent on the bus with nothing to do. He wanted.. No he needed to find the materials to write her to write them. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to go about putting his feelings on paper and all. He'd never written such a letter before but for them he was willing to put effort into fuckin' tryen.

Daryl spent his time waiting in and out of a light sleep. They had just crossed the state line Into Alabama and he knew his chance would soon be arriving. A true smile that reached his eyes for the first time since stepping onto this bus appeared to take over his lips. Rendering his repairing soul at peace, a peace he hadn't felt since he had last felt it back in Georgia with Carol.

Daryl listening closely as the driver informs his passengers that this is the stop for him and the next driver should be along with in 2 hours to get moving once more. Daryl stands up stretching out his stiff muscles while pulling the leather strap of his crossbow up and over his head. Placing his trusty weapon down onto his seat knowing its not safe to wonder with it outside. Making his way to the head of the bus and pulling a pack of smokes out of his front pocket, he steps down out onto the busy parking lot as he lights one of the cancer sticks and proceeds to look around in order to get his barring's.

**~Wondering travelin soldier~**

His first stop was at the public rest stop. His second stop he wasn't quite sure yet till he felt a collision of a small body bumping into his legs. Upon looken down Daryl sees a small child a boy that looks to be around the age of 5. Grasping onto his leg looking up at him with his dark brown eyes pleading with him, "You gots to hide me mister, she'll tan my hide if she finds out what I done, please mister you just gotta."

Daryl takes in the appearance of the child now hiding behind his legs noticing that he's in a pair of grass stained shorts a holey shirt and shoes that have come untied. The boys got brown curly hair that reminds him of his mama's and Merles. He can't help but see a resemblance of his brother shining through this little man and then and there decides to help him.

"What cha runnin from boy, you gotta name." Daryl asks the child turning around and coming down to his level to meet the boy eye to eye.

"Ya course I got a name mister, but mama says I shouldn't tell it to strangers." The boy lookin' at Daryl scuffs his shoe in the dirt at their feet refusing to make eye contact.

"Well now is that so lil' man, you sure do got a smart mama, I'm Daryl, now we aint strangers. Daryl reaches over scuffing up the boy's curly hair. "Say, where your mama at boy?" Daryl asks looking around for a distressed woman looking around for her child and noticing there's no one with that description on the street.

"Connor mama's gonna string you up by your toes you don't get back here." Yells a little curly brown-haired girl coming out of the general store across the street, upon seeing her brother beside Daryl she makes her way over to him.

The little miss stops right in front of Daryl placing her hands on her hips as she raises her voice at her brother. "yer gonna get us in trouble again if ya don't get back over there, who are you mister and whatcha doin with my twin brother?" She asks while peering up at Daryl her green eyes demanding answers as she stomps her foot into the ground.

Daryl looks down at the little miss taking in surprise by her bluntness. "Well Lil miss I'm just the one he's cowering behind, where's ya all's mama at?"

"What ya doin' out here Connor you knows mama don't like it when we leave the store without her okay."

**"**I wantes a car."

** "**A car? Why you want one of them you got moneyz?"

**"**So I can drive it to go get daddy."

**"**So you can go get daddy? You can't drive to the moon Connor. Mama says daddy be so far far away, why, he be on the moon."

"That's right, I wanna go sit with daddy up there and wait for the cow to jump over us and we can catch a ride back here."

"Say mister, wills you marry me?"

"…huh." Poor Daryl looks down at the lil miss tuggen at his shirt.

"Well, my bother wants to get himself a cow with uh car, and mama says he can't drive no car till I's getten married, so can ya marries me mister?"

"Don't think that'll work out for us lil miss." Daryl says scooting down to eye level with the little girl.

"Is It because I aint got the tata like mama does mister? Daddys always says he made Connor and me with mama cuz she had the biggest tata's in town. Hey mister what are tatas?" Daryl stands there flabbergasted looking around quickly to make sure no one's paying any attention to the words comen out of this little girl's mouth. While he has not a slightest clue on how to answer the little girl, "Well, I tell ya what, by the time you grow to be as tall as your mama is I'm sure to be an old man. You'll have to ask your mama lil miss."

The little girl grabs his hand and starts to tug him in the direction of the general store. "Mama's in here she be worken I bet she can tell you what tatas are."

"Where supposed to be stayen behind the counter with her but Connor got caught tryen to sneak off with mama's letters from daddy again… there be pictures in there we aint supposed to see. See mister so I scared him off, I couldn't find him no wares, so I decided I best come and check out here." The whole time the lil miss was speaken Daryl was following behind her both children's hands tucked safely with in his.

"Jess, Connor?" A frantic woman's voice could be heard looking around the general store as Daryl and the children take a step inside. "Where here mama," the little miss yells out to her franticly lookin' mother.

Daryl spots a woman with a rack that he could lose a draught of beer in, heading his way while he's taking in her straight brown hair and green franticly searching worried eyes heading quickly toward the children. Upon meeting the children and grabbing them up into a tight hug the woman sets the children back down at her feet.

Daryl having a hard time removing his eyes from her chest quickly looks up. Standing back up she meets with Daryl's avoiding eye contact eyes, "they weren't bothering you where they soldier?" She asks Daryl in a worried tone.

Daryl takes a moment to look around before he comes to his senses and realizes that the lady is looking straight at him asking him a question. "No problem at all, your girls gonna be one hell in a hand basket someday though."

"He's so bad he whups his own ass twice a week," little miss pops up with.

"Sweet baby Jessus Jess, you best be watchen your mouth before I wash it out and ground ya to the corner along with Connor. Once I'm done helpen this nice man who saw you safely back to me, ya hear me, go sit back down and color." The woman rolls her eyes and mumbles something under her breath.

As the kids scurry off to do their mother's bidding, Daryl takes a look around the store. "Would ya happen to have the items for sendin' a letter ma' am?"

"Of course we do, here we have a lil bit of everything. What are you looking for? Plain paper, stationary paper, colored, or design? Sending home to the parents or your wife kids maybe?" The woman asks as she heads toward the isle holding all the necessary items for writing and sending a letter.

Daryl can't help the red blush that blooms threw out his body as the woman mentions wife, and stops to think for a second when he hears those words. _Maybe someday, if this thing works outright between my woman and I, if I don't manage to scare her off first._

He continues to follow her after a moment almost tripping over his own two feet when she mentions kids. _What I gotta think about damn kids now.. already. _"No, no wife, gots me a woman though, hell no on the kids ma'am." Daryl tells the woman as he makes it to the isle lookin' around, trying to pick out a good one for his mama and haven a harder time deciden' on one for Carol.

"Well, when you ready just come on up to the front and I'll help ya with your purchases." The woman informs him as she walks away to tend to her children. Daryl stands there debating over what to get paper wise. He finally decides on a white stationary kit with a hunters bow on it for his mama, figuring it would remind her of him the most. After searching through the stacks of the others he came upon one with a dusky black background and a Cherokee rose in the upper right hand corner and a humming-bird in the lower right.

Deciding that this one reminds him the most of Carol and the way she felt the need to hum while in his presence and the flower he stuck into her ear to remember him by felt the best match for her. He carries the two kits up to the front.

"How much ya want for em lil'mam?" He asks the little miss in a playful tone at the cash register.

"Mama be right back mister she had to go grab her purse from the back room." Jess answers him gazing up from her seat behind the counter.

"Aw, there you are, did you find all that you needed?" The woman asks him as she is searching in her bag for something.

"Aye I did," Slips from his mouth as he watches her with caution as she suddenly pulls out a few items and sets them on the counts top. _woman and their bags, wonder what else she gots in there, maybe a whole kitchen sink_. He watches her closer noticing how frustrated she is becoming at not finding whatever it is she is seeking in that bag of hers, as she is emptying it out onto the counter.

"I know there in here somewhere I just got them last night when I made it off shift and was able to pick some up." The lady in an upset voice remarks to no one but her rapidly emptying bag. Upon not finding the item she is seeking she gives up and empties her bag out onto the counter. With a loud bonking noise Daryl becomes more focus on what the lady is doing and what's on the counter between them.

Daryl looking closer at the pile of mess takes in the, make up a few hair ties a change of clothing for both of the kids, and what seems to be a toy gun. He watches as Connors little hand makes its way up onto the counter trying to be all sneaky like reaching for that toy gun. His mama gives a playful pop to the back of her son's hand. "It isn't a toy Connor and you know very well daddy only takes you out shooting when hes home." The woman playfully scolds her son as she quickly looks up at Daryl and smiles.

"Don't worry sugar; it's just for the ones that like to come in here and steal from me, it's more for looks. Can't be too careful now and days what with the hubby being off at war and all some ones gotta look after this place. Aw here we go, found them." She hands a booklet of stamps over to Daryl, "for catching these too little rascals you've earned yourself my thanks."

"How much I owe ya?"

"No hon, there free."

"I meant for the stationary." Daryl hands the woman a 20.00 dollar bill. "Will this do?"

The woman nods her head "of course it will. Hope you have a safe trip where ever you are heading soldier. Be safe and good luck safe journey to you."

Daryl nods his head and heads off towards the dinner down the road. Figuring he could eat and start writing out a letter to his mama and Carol. Upon entering the diner he finds it to be too much of a crowd for his taste he orders a few easy to eat items off the menu and heads back to his bus. Knowing it's about time to get rolling out he hits the restrooms to wash up a bit and then hops onto the bus his ride on the highway to hell. Making his way back to his seat he notices a few new faces in the ever-growing crowd. Wondering how many more people where going to be comen and going before he made it to his stop. Daryl sits down and breaks into the stationary for his hummin' bird. Daryl in a better mood then he was before sits back and begins to write.. _bout a good time as any, shit got nothen else better to do. But sit here and watch the dust roll on bye. Now how to start this and what the hell do I say to her. Sorry woman for being an ass? Hell, I don't know, I'll just wing it fuck! Okay I gots this shit. Carol_….

* * *

**I know that this chapter started off a bit dark but when you stop and think about what mind-set Daryl would be in when he's leaving everything he knows behind him it would leave someone in a bit of a thinking mood. For him his thinking would lead him threw his life and what strength he had that was keeping him going and the new roads set out before him. Hope that his meeting with the kids put smiles on your face, i wanted to show that he's trying to brake free of the chains on him and start out on a new pathway. sorry know I said I would get out Meths story promise to do that in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed the chapter please let me know if there is anything that could be improved. Oh btw if it isn't to much what would you all think about the walking dead in a medevil time period? I'm talken about a kingdom somewhat baised around the story of the man in the iron mask? Let me know if you all would be interested to read somethen like that. thank you. oxox Tula**

**Please let me know if I am spelling these words wrong I was only taught the basics when my grams was alive so if I happen to be murdering them please feel free to correct me. I only know the words was never truely taught the spelling I was to young and didn't grasp it at the time. :)**

**Cherokee words and meaning**

**dinadanvtli Brother blood of the same mother**

**Unitsi their Mother**

**Unetlanvhi Great spirit**

**Ayvdaqualosgi Thunderer**


	6. Chapter 6 When truths come to light

Thank you ladies for your kind words of encouragement if there was a way I would make my way threw the computer screen and hug ya all. As promised here is the story of how Beth met Merle and how they came to be. Hope all whom may be reading this story has a wonderful Day or night where ever you may be may the moon wash away your pain and may the light of the sun renew you. oxox Tula

Disclaimer I do not own or make any profit from the walking dead or the characters borrowed from it, nor from shinedowns save me or Metallica's wherever I may roam and soldier boy by The Shirelles its from the 60s had to throw a song in there from the actual time frame. I'll be doing that when its not in letter form.

* * *

Chapter 6 Truth comes to light

As the moon was being driven behind the clouds Carol finished reading Daryl's letter in the moons fading light. Looking over and peering at Beth's face she can see the tears falling like rain drops from the poor girl's eyes. "Why the tears honey, bad news?"

"No, just tears of relief that he continues to still write." Beth says as she reaches for Carol's letter. Upon reading Daryl's letter Beth stands up abruptly and grabs Carol's hand in a rush and starts pulling carol along behind her up into the house.

Carol stumbling to keep her balance after being pulled upwards to swiftly has a hard time walking on trembling legs that have fallen asleep from sitting on the hard ground. Stumbling behind Beth she allows the girl to pull her into the house and up the stairs into her room. Upon entering Beth's room Carol finds her hand being released and returned to her side once more.

"Here look at this and I'll explain my story on how I came to meet Merle. Beth tells her as she approaches Carol with a dirty worn out sheet of paper in her hand. Upon being handed back her letter from Daryl as well as the new sheet of paper Carol walks over to join Beth upon her bed. She can see where the paper had once been crinkled up into a ball. Smoothed back out and folded and unfolded many times from the grooves and creases in the sheet of paper. Sitting there taking a deep breath she delves into the words on the sheet of foreign well-loved paper. Where she knows many secrets await to be told and spoken aloud.

**_"Save Me"_**

_I got a __candle__  
And I've got a __spoon__  
I live in a hallway with no doors  
And no rooms_

Under a windowsill  
They all were found  
A touch of concrete within the doorway  
Without a sound

Someone save me if you will  
And take away all these pills  
And please just save me if you can  
From my blasphemy in my wasteland

How did I get here  
And what went wrong  
Couldn't handle forgiveness  
Now I'm far beyond gone

I can hardly remember  
The look of my own eyes  
How can I love this a life so dishonest  
It made me compromise

Carol sits there in the deafening silence, trying to understand just what exactly in her hand she held. She knew that Beth who was quickly becoming more of a sister to her more so than a cousin had never done anything illegal. Was it Merle, was he the one who was behind these words. This person who was asking to find salvation and to be saved from these horrible things that where controlling his life. Is this why he joined up and went away to get help on moving forward in his life. "How, how did you come to find this cry for help?" Carol whispers looking over at Beth.

Beth once again resting her head on Carols shoulder takes a deep breath as she delves into her story. " I was mad, okay I was beyond mad Maggie had been in one of her moods from the start of the day and was raggen on me from the moment I had gotten off the school bus. She had been seeing some new guy and wanted me to do her chores so she could skip out and go meet up with him. Shakespeare had just been born the night before and I hadn't gotten much sleep. I had been hopen to catch up on my sleep. Well, that didn't happen Maggie and I we had some words and I ended up storming out of the house. I wondered around didn't know where I was heading just that I needed to get away before I grabbed one of daddy's shot guns.

"She sure does bring that feeling of need out doesn't she, girls gonna be lucky if we let her see her next birthday with the way she has been all hoity toity." Carol says in between laughter and hick ups.

"Yes, she's gotten even worse since a lot of her male worshipers have left for duty." Beth gets out as her laughter slows down.

"So anyways I ended up walking down this dirt road and at the end of it is an abandoned house, well what I thought to be an abandoned place ended up not being so once I made my way inside." She pauses to collect her thoughts and her memories.

"Found that sheet of paper laying there in one of the hallways heading into a backroom. Turned out Merle was in there, he had been usen had a candle lit and everything ready to go." Beth takes a deep shuddering breath as she remembers that day and how Merle looked corpse like and the first tears she had allowed to fall for him on that day.

"He wasn't too happy when he saw me there, he had some really nasty things to say to me. I held up that paper there and he charged me and tore it up yelling to the heavens about how they dare send someone like me to help someone like him. He ended up braking down, I held him, I don't know what made me do it, but I did Carol he was so lost. After speaking with Merle that first day we had decided that to remove temptation I would lock up Merle's stash in a locked box. With the only set of keys being around my neck it would be less tempting for Merle to get at his stash." Beth lies down on the bed pulling the necklace with a set of keys out of her nightgown hanging around her neck. While resting her head in Carols lap and tears once more slowly make their way down her cheeks.

"Bethie rather your really stupid or very brave, I bet that man is built just like his brother is. All muscle mass and not an ounce of fat on him. That was a good thing that you did though sweet heart, sometimes all a man needs to get get out of the darkness in his life is for someone to light a candle and show him the way."

"I'd go to him there at that house and we would talk and I was helping him from that moment on. I'd meet him in the back room and he's have everything set up to go, you can't just go cold turkey on that sorta thing you gotta take is really slow and easy cutting the dosage down little by little. See one day I was held up at school and didn't get to him like I normally would." Beth gasping in between breaths as silent tears of regret makes their way from her eyes. Beth recalling her tale to Carol as her mind drifts away into memories and she continues speaking to carol.

*~* **Beth's flashback***~*

It had been a long trying year since she had started meeting Merle. There had been a few ups in his recovery, but like always there where a few downs as well. Merle had ran into a dealer a few months back and Beth had had to revive him in spirit and get him back on track. She had dreaded those few weeks back then when he was lost and he wasn't meeting up with her. She didn't give up on him always stopping by after school and choirs where done for the day to see if she could find him there.

"Your late lil girl, where ya been?" Merle growled out in between moans of pain while sitting there propped up against the wall from his dark corner. Beth walks over to him laying a hand along his forehead to check for a temp. A cold swet easily detected by Beth's eye sight has broken out along his body. Beth can hear the floor boards creaking under his body as his muscles twitch underneath his skin causing his bones to ache and shift about.

"I was held up at school, I got out of there as quickly as I could. Why don't you tell me a story Merle or sing me one of your tunes, get the pain off your mind." Beth makes her way to the chest of drawers against the opposite wall of where Merle is and removes the necklace around her neck. Upon the long necklace she keeps hidden from all eyes is a set of keys. Opening the chest to the set of drawers hidden within Beth pulls open the bottom one and pulls out the lock boxes.

"Don't have no tales to tell ya today girly, nothen you'd ever want to hear anyways." Merle gives off a choked cough.

"Sing for me then Merle keeps both our minds busy while I get this going for you." Beth prepares merles stash as carefully as she can in the way he had showed her to prepare it.

She didn't enjoy it but at least this way her she could keep track of his dosage.

"Don't think I can carry a tune in a bucket today sweet cheeks."

Looking up at the walls of the abandoned house Beth has grown used to seeing the inside walls of this room covered in Merles sharp hand written words. As she stares at the wall in front of her where she is preparing a lower dosage for Merle her eyes fall on a few new sentences there on the wall.

**_.and the earth becomes my throne I adapt to the unknown Under wandering stars I've grown By myself but not alone I ask no one._**

"Well then why don't you tell me what these words here mean to you."

"Which words you speaken bout girly, walls fuckin' covered in them."

Beth standing up walks over to Merle with the loaded needle in her hand. She has done this so many times for him she doesn't really think about what she is doing, she just allows her mind to take control for her to get the nasty job done and over with. She looks into his eyes as she prepares him for the needle and lets him take it from there. As she sings the few lines that had been written on the wall Merle gazes up at her.

"Like that do ya, I was figuren it was time for some'en new. Thought I'd get it out, Damn drugs maken me think of things I shouldn't shit that's gonna make me weak. DAMMIT Bethie this shit sucks, you gots me wishen you was older. My angel eyes if you wasn't 17 or if I was closer to you in age instead of being 5 years older I'd sweep you up off your feet and take you away from here. As it is I can't even kiss ya."

"Well Merle, you're just going to have to get better. Then your going to have to show me prove to me you can be a man with honor. You gotta stay clean." Beth's hand finds its way to Merle's cheek resting it there as his nuzzles into to. The warmth of her hand seeping into his skin slipping down into his damaged soul, he can feel it settling in there healing another torn shadowed part of it.

"Been fighten so hard to show you I can be better that 'm not just some white neck trash. If you'd let me prove it to you Angel eyes I could make ya happy. Been speaking to a recruiter he doesn't know about this shit but I'm almost clean I's gonna join up prove to you I'll do what it takes." Merle whispers to her as what little amount of drugs he needs travel threw out his body. He relaxes into her touch. A new feeling he has come to crave more so than his body has ever craved before. A yearning he felt deep down floating around in his spirit.

"You better Merle if you wanna keep me want me by your side, we'll do this together. As soon as I'm outa school you can send for me, I'll follow you, but I'm gonna worry so much, you have to promise you'll write you have to promise you'll stay safe and you'll send for me. Promise me Merle, promise me." Beth pleading with her eyes kneeling in front of Merle her hands gathered up in fistfuls of Merle's shirt.

"I'll always come for ya my angel eyes, always."

*~*End of flashback*~*

Beth's mind becomes more focused as she remembers where she is and who she is with at this moment. It was his choice, he wanted to do it. He wanted to get better, said he needed to do it. So he could join up and protect his ma and brother. At the end he said he was doing it for me, he wanted to prove he could be a man of honor. That as soon as he was stable and I was old enough he'd send for me, I'm well past 18 now. We're just waiting on his training to settle down and then I'll be joining him come winter." A real smile breaks out on her voice as the mood in the air shifts.

"He's been gone a year and a few months now guess they like training their men hard. We write but he never calls he didn't want to take the chance of daddy finding out and making me cut ties with him. Carol, I know I'm only 19 but in a few days I'm gonna be leaven. I'm gonna leave here wait for him to send for me, maybe get some training up as a nurse, they need those now that we are at war. You should join me." Beth says excitement filling her voice as she sits up and grasps Carol's hands in hers.

Carol nods her head, "sure Beth, taking a few extra courses in college wouldn't hurt any. I've got the money for it. I'm glad you were there for Merle honey. Maybe you were meant to fight with Maggie that day and you had to take that path less traveled on to find him and give him the support and anchor he needed to pull him through."

Carol reaches into the pocket of her night gown and pulls out another letter. Contemplating it and what it means for him to have sent it to her. "Daryl sent me this; would ya come with me to take it to their mama? I don't know where she is, not for sure, I got a good idea on the where bouts though."

Beth agrees on going by giving a nod of her head. "Wonder if our guys get their poetic lyrics from their mama, we will have to ask her when we go tomorrow. I bet she has a lovely strong fighten' spirit she would have to in order to go through that hell."

"I miss him carol, so much that it hurts like hell." Beth says in a broken whisper as her faces falls, and she breaks down into a soft voice words gently falling from her lips, as carol joins in on the choirs.

_ Soldier Boy  
Oh, my little soldier boy  
I'll be true to you_

_You were my first love  
And you'll be my last love  
I will never make you blue  
I'll be true to you  
In the whole world  
You can love but one girl  
Let me be that one girl  
For I'll be true to you_

"You know neither one of our boys are very little, when it comes to their bodies." Carol tells Beth in giggles in an attempt to lift the girl's spirits.

"Your right Carol, neither one of them are small and I know we will be with them soon. I just know it I can feel it, even now I can feel him and know he's just waiting for that day." Beth yawns and begins to drift off to sleep.

Carol grabs the blanket at the end of the bed and drapes it over the younger girl. She bends over moving Beth's hair out of her eyes and off her face placing a kiss on her forehead. Grabbing her letters nearby off the night stand Carol tucks them safely back into the pocket of her night gown as she makes her way to the door and turns out the light.

Carol makes her way up to the attic where she crosses the room to her dresser and places the letters there for safe keeping in the meantime. Carol notices the light of the moon as it flows in from the bay window. She makes her way over to the bay seat curling up there in its light. Once again lost in the beauty of knowing that somewhere out there Daryl was under that same big moon and for knowing that there was a part of her that didn't feel the emptiness his presence left behind. Emptiness she wasn't even aware of its existences until he showed up. The time spent in his spirits presence leaving an everlasting mark upon her very being that the warmth of it sank deep down into her skin to leave foot notes in a musical pattern upon her longing soul.

Carol reaches under her and opens a drawer; her notebook full of her poems and lyrics is sitting there waiting for her. Her notebook is already a quarter full of poems and un answered questions that she is waiting to ask Daryl. Something that she does at night when she can't sleep and her past life invades her dreams. Often making pleasant dreams turn into nightmares. Nightmares filled of memories from her past. A past she knows she will someday have to open up to. Picking it up she thinks of Daryl's letters and his lyrics there and picks up her pen. She ponders on what to write, for she has no address to send it to. Putting pen to paper she begins to write a response to his musical words with one of her own spirit filled notes.

* * *

Daryl, midnight July 24,1968

You can't see the moon from where I am sitting tonight, but this hummin' bird of yours can feel the longing in that big star filled sky. Its light is guiding my very soul to reach out to yours threw these words. I know you can't read them anytime soon, and I don't know when. But I do know that when I have received word from you on where to send it, it will be one of the first things to be sent your way. You'll have to tell me the story someday about that gun toten mama, I bet she was really interesting. How'd you manage to run into her. Bet that's a tale waiting to be told. I don't care on what you write as long as I get word that your all right. Send me a post card or two here or there that's all I'm asken for. A quick call to say how you are doin is fine to. I love you Daryl and if the words in your song have any meaning at all which I do believe they do. Then I'll follow you. I'll stay by your side through hell and high waters as long as you keep me close to you as long as you want me there by your side. I'll be there, whatever you may need of me I'm yours. I don't care if we fall from grace Daryl don't care as long as you don't leave me behind. My better half is coming through and I'm finding it in those few precious hours I spent with you.

For now I'm gonna tell you a little bit about myself and my days maybe it'll help ya get to know me better. See that it don't matter what the town snobs say. I deal with the snobs around me. While I'm working in the café you couldn't begin to imagine how they are now and days. They be all hoity toity with their prissy noses up in the air. Someone really should tell them that their shit stinks just like everyone else's does. Their no better than us no better then you no matter what they say or what cha think.

My life it aint be easy, I lost my mama at an early age, now I don't mean she passed away. Her spirit died the day she lost my twin brother to scarlet fever. We where 6 and his body just gave out and they say that when he passed away he took a part of her spirit right along with him. Now I can't lay blame to either one of them my father he was no daddy to us after he lost his boy. Was never a big fan of mine to start out anyways. Married me off to one of his farm hands as soon as one took a liking to me. I was all of 17 when he sent me off. Now I don't want ya thinking I'm some used up bar maid I aint never been touched by a man, at least not in the way that a man touches a woman he loves. I'm still pure I was nothen more then a slave to Ed. I'm fortunate in that aspect and in others I'm not.

I got your letter today, you kept your promise Daryl and you wrote to me. You never know what your voice is gonna sound like Daryl until you go and give it a try. I bet you have a singing voice better than Elvis. Go on and give it a try sometime while you're in the shower. I also got word on Merle for you honey, now I didn't believe it at first either but Beth. You probably know her Beth Greene she's my cousin and she has been keeping in touch with him. I know it's hard to believe, but Daryl she loves him, she met him a while ago before he left home. Says she found him one day and that she saved him. I think he really cares for her. She loves him. We are planning to take a few courses in college here in September we are hoping it'll lead us to be closer to the two of you. At least we could be doing our part in this war.

I hope your safe tonight honey where ever you might be.

Your "old man" is a confused old fool Daryl. Honey a man doesn't become no weak pussy when it comes to loven a woman. Only little boys who refuse to be men grow up believing such untrue words. Men who grow to love a woman only grow stronger. I am amazed, by the vulnerability and strength in you and I am so thankful to have met you. You are chasing away my nightmares. Our pasts are what we learn from, our futures, my future I hope to be filled with memories and moments maken those memories with you. I can't help but to look up at that great big sky and hope you're wishin' on that same bright star, don't know what you're doin' and I don't know where you are tonight, are you still in Alabama have ya moved on into California yet? I know that sometimes love needs a fighting chance. So I'll wait right here for ya until I can be once more safe in your arms. Hope these words wont chaise you away someday but I'm beleiving in your words just like you told me, you'll guard us threw the deepest of times.

Love you Daryl stay safe,

Your Hummin' Bird Carol

P.S. Loved the stationary it's beautiful

P.S.S. Both names are fine you decide when to use one..

Carol closes the book up and tucks it safely back into its nook until the day comes that Daryl is ready to receive the letters tucked away in it. She can't help staring off into the distance at that big old moon. More than once she found herself staring into space As a gentle whisper leaves her lips, to drift upon the night's crisp wind of the open window, Soon Bethie, we shall be with them soon.

* * *

Hope this was okay for you all next chapter should be a bit of an up lifter gonna have the girls find a way around the oldest male Dixon and get to the boys mama trouble and trickery ensures. Should be an adventure all on its own. We'll hopefully get to hear from Daryl once more. As always thank you for reading reviews are always welcomed even if you feel the need to set flames. oxox Tula


	7. Chapter 7 Hell knows no fury

Sorry this has taken so long to get up. Thank you much for being patient, now that I'm back home I'll be able to update more often. Hope you ladies are having a good morning afternoon and evening. oxox Tula

**Disclaimer:** I don't own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters, wishful hopen aside, or Robert pattison's Let me sign.

* * *

**"Let Me Sign"**  
Standing there by a broken tree  
Her hands are all twisted, she was pointing at me  
I was damned by the light, coming out of her eyes  
She spoke with a voice that disrupted the sky  
She said walk on over here to the bitter shade  
I will wrap you in my arms and you'll know that you're saved

Robert Pattinson

Chapter 7 Hell knows no fury

Anybody can be angry, it's a human emotion that comes to us easily under the right circumstances, but to be angry at the right time at the right person at just the correct degree and at such the right amount with the correct purpose behind it in just the right way, well it's not in everyone's power and spirit it's never an easy thing to do or accomplish. Before my mama slipped away she used to always tell me, "Carol you gotta learn to play the hand of cards your dealt, not wish for another hand. Wishing will get you nowhere just lost in a world of longing. To get anywhere in this world you got to place one foot in front of the other. Mind the path you walk on." Her path at the moment was a dirt road on the wrong side of town.

"You sure this is the right place?" Carol looking around with watchful nerves eyes asking the girl beside her.  
"For the hundredth time Carol, yes, if he's still frequenting the same bars Merle always mentioned he hung out at, then it sure is." Beth answers her with a sigh feeling like a recording for having to answer the same question over and over.

They were on the wrong side of town were the stores where closed and boarded up, parks were filled with the emptiness of children's laughter the very presence of young ones at play was completely absent, and left untended garbage could be seen spilling over everywhere, each garbage can looked as though it hadn't been dumped in weeks. The citizens scurrying here and there like drunken animals, the presence of the unknown forever making the girls look over their shoulders. Many dark things lurked in the shadows and Carol could swear they were watching them with a hidden descent in their eyes as they made their way over to that bar. In the early hours of twilight where there was little light for the sun was dipping down into the wood line and the moon had yet to make its full climb into the starry sky. Carol was walking this path laid forth in front of her by the fates that led her to Daryl, knowing that she would be doing him a great favor. She deserved a man who would devote his being alive to a woman who gave birth to him and kept him going threw out the years as he was growing up. That's why they were on a mission.

She had gathered up the letter from Daryl and set forth with Beth that afternoon. They had decided that the best of ways to get to the boys mama was to go through and past their father. Now the oldest Dixon in these parts was known for being scoundrel a thief and most of all a cheater. "_There aint nothen' he had ever been faithful to besides that damn whiskey bottle_," or so Beth had heard from Merle. He was a man who had lost himself in a bottle his best friend being a cheap whiskey.

They had been walking for a while now toying with the ideas that had been running threw out there minds. Just the correct way to get the older Dixon out of the picture long enough so that they could make their way to the Dixon family house to speak to the boy's mama. They had spoken for a long amount of time just that morning. Never quiet coming to an agreement on how to lure him away from the bars, for neither one of them where quit old enough to enter one without being carded.

"I have faith, there are no questions on what we should do, if the lord wishes for us to speak with mama Dixon then he will present us with his answer," Beth offered, "but without it there are no answers."

Carol gives a nod of her head agreeing with Beth, "Sometimes what you most fear turns out to be more of a difficulty than putting one foot in front of the other. What will be will be it'll come to us as we get closer and take in his environment."

The fates must of been listening that night for as they made their way up to the rundown bars they saw a man being thrown out on his butt by a bouncer, "Owen Dixon, don't you be coming around to this here establishment again until you can pay your dues, . You big ol' drunk."

The girls stood there in the middle of the street lost in praise and wonder. It was as if the stars in the sky have heard their silent prayers and where answering them. Beth playfully slapped Carol on the shoulder making the girl snap out of her trance as she quickly pulled her out of the street as a car sped by. "See, told ya that the lord o mighty wanted us to find him, you should have more faith girl." Carol nodding her head her mouth wide open in a silent gasp making inaudible sounds.

"Maybe one of us should sneak up to him from behind with the intention of looking for a good time?" Carol whispers to Beth as she comes out of her surprised state. "Or how about seeking out a person who would be willing to buy two young women something good to drink maybe we could drug it and tease him with it?"

"It would be easier than the usual harmless kidnapping, and it's in the middle of the night like this we could use the sedative I took from daddy's office drag him out into the woods tell him we need help setting up our camping tent, and leave him there for the night." Beth's mischief smile tells Carol that at least one of them where aware of the possibilities that could arise when handling the man bear that was Owen Dixon..

Carol looks over at Beth and whispers low enough for her ears only "follow my lead." Carol tosses her long brown wavy hair fluffing and giving it a good flip for measure as she slowly starts to unbutton her sweater as she lets it slip down off her pale slim shoulders as she starts out on a slow seductive cat walk over to Owens side of the dark empty street. Placing one foot in front of the other in a determined eye catching slow seductive walk, Carol makes her way up to her worse nightmare. Her very spirit recoiling back away from the man she is walking up to as if it knows this man is no good.

_Think of being Marilyn Monroe you are adored by all types of men… There never was no Ed you are doing this for Daryl….Imagine he's come back to town and your meeting him as he steps down off that bus. You can walk in these damn high heels without falling over. You are a sex goddess in the white dress your borrowing from Andrea. Oh god, I don't know if I should be jumping for joy or be in tears at the thought of walking in these damn high heel boots. Okay I can do this smile and ignore the stench rolling off of him._ Carol clears her throat in an attempt of gaining Owens attention. His head is down and Carol isn't quite sure if his gaze is locked on her long athletic legs or if he has his eyes set on something right behind her, perhaps Beth?

"Excuse me, sir," carol bending over to expose the accessible cleavage that the white dress offers her. She lifts one finger that she promises to herself to scrub later and taps Owen on the shoulder while trying not to breathe in the stench rolling off of him and not passing out from holding her breath.

In not gaining his attention Carol cringes and fights back the urge of her reflex not to gag and to not cringe away as she tugs on the sleeve of the man's shirt. With a sigh at seeing that she is still not gaining the man's attention Beth walks gracefully across the street allowing her gypsy skirt to fan out around her and her slim fitting peasant blouse to swirl around her to join in the movement her body is creating. The nights wind blowing her long blond hair gently behind her setting off the effect of a halo of light from the luminescence of the moon in the star filled sky behind her.

As she is drawing closer to Carol Beth is taking in the sigh of the drunken man in front of her. She's noticing that his eyes seem to be glued to an area right above her head. She allows a wisp of what she hopes to be an angelic smile grace her lips. As she draws up to stand behind Carol she lays a hand along Carols back to make her aware of her presence and snaps her fingers as close to Owen's ear as she dares, hoping to wake the man out of his drunken stupor

Owen gives a good shake of his head as he is awoken from his dream state and starts to take in his surroundings. "I ain't got no damn idea how you don gone and fallen out of that there sky but I sure is gonna learn you a thing or two when it comes to the way of a man." Owen slurs as he lazily gazes up at Beth with a malicious mischief look upon his face and a look of lust on his brown eyes.

"So tell me big boy do you know where a couple of girls can find a drink or two, we're looken' to have a good time." Carol purrs in an alluring seductive voice in an attempt to draw the drunken man's hazy attention away from Beth.

Owen's whole body does an internal shiver that runs threw out it as he takes in the woman's cleavage in her bent over position. His demeanor changes from a drunken fool to a southern gentleman as he stands up and attempts to present himself on his useless wobbly legs, "Angels."

Beth ducks her head down behind Carol hiding her face behind the woman's back curtained away by her hair as she attempts to stifle the giggles that are trying to make their way up from her stomach and out threw her finger tips that are tightly pressed up against her mouth. "So tell me sugar do ya know of a place or should we move it along?" Carol asks in a high voice trying to hide Beth's giggling behind her.

"Well ain't I just the luckiest son of ah bitch around, two fallen angels for the fucken' price of one, and shes got a treasure chest waiten for me to sink into. What a fucken' hoot it must be my lucky night,"

"I'll buy us some whiskey if you angels have the coin and I mean the silver kind not the ones hidden underneath them there dresses. I recon only if you two show me your goodies along with a good time we three could have over yonder in them there woods out back behind those convenient stores." He attempts to say in a deep southern growl that only falls upon the girls ears as an annoying screechy mousey sound.

Carol turns her head and looks down at Beth raising an eye brow in the way only another gal understands her line of questioning with that simple up turned lift asking, well shall we do it? Beth gives a nod of her head and Carol understands this as meaning, go along with it girl. _"The good lord will protect us and make sure we can have him sedated by the time he attempts to pull something out of his breeches." _Beth gives a giggle; Carol takes that for Beth's way of saying, "_if it hasn't done shriveled up and died yet."_ Carol's eyes widen the blue of her eyes growing in depth, "_What do you know about things shriveling up, is there something you have forgot to tell me about Merle?"_ Beth gives her a mischief smile and shrugs her shoulders as Carol turns around and says, "Mister you got yourself a deal." All along thinking, _Daryl you owe me so big, you don't even know it yet,_ as she plasters a fake sultry come hither smile across her face.

"You know what's funny?" Carol purrs at Owen. "Wha dat?" Your gentlemanly southern hospitality is starting to bring out my inner kitten."

"Then I guess I best be getten on over yonder and getten you angels a bottle of spirits." Owen slurs out between licking his lips as he holds his hand out for the girl's money.

"Here ya go big boy hope ya can bring us back some then good."

Carol and Beth keep their eyes on Owen as he stagers along the road and makes his way up to the only liquor store on this side of the town that dares to stay open at this late hour of the night. Carol grabs a hold of Beth's hand and pulls her over to the shade in the woods where it's safe for them to be out of watchful eyes of wondering drunkenness. Standing there by a broken tree the girls waited for Owen to make his way out of the store and hoping that he hadn't decided to just dupe them out of their money and buy his way back into that bar he had been kicked out of. Carol's hands were all twisted, as she was pointing at Owen, "Well I be damned by the light, he didn't shift us after all, here he comes Beth you got that sedative ready?"

"Oh its ready for the scum bag all right it's going to bring the fear of the good Lord right on down on to him." The light of revenge was coming out of her eyes, Beth had known far longer than Carol herself the kind of man Owen Dixon was and all the pain and hurt he had brought down on his family and the townsfolk around him. Carol spoke with a voice that disrupted the quietness of the night sky, She called out to Owen telling him, "walk on over here to the bitter shade I will wrap you in my arms and you'll know what I have saved."

"What cha manage to get us big daddy?" Beth asked him reaching out her hand for the paper bag he was holding in his big meaty one.

"Gots us two bottles of moonshine, shits highly illegal but I happen to know the owner personally, I knows that man's got some good shit He could fall into a barrel of it and come out smelling like roses. Me on the other hand, could fall into a barrel of titties and come out suckin' my thumb when it comes ta maken home made moonshine." Owen thrusts one of the bottles at the girls as they grab a hold of his arms and start walking him deeper into the woods.

Being guided by the light of the moon the girls follow a worn trail laid out there in front of them as if it had been laid there purposefully just for them on this night. Beth sends up a silent prayer of thanks. Carol grabs tighter onto the bottle in her hand giving a meaningful look over at Beth as the girl reaches over and passes Carol the sedative.

Upon coming to a clearing in the middle of some surrounding trees the girls had done their silent talking again. They had decided that they were covered well enough by the protection of the forest that no passerby's or nosey people would be able to detect them out there in the woods. They dropped Owen's arms letting the drunken ox fall to the forest floor. Where he proceeded to sink into the warmth of the earth beneath his body and break open the bottle of moonshine grasped tightly there in his hand.

Carol quickly opened the bottle in her hand and poured out about a cup of liquid from the bottle before she allowed the fear of being caught to over whelm her she quickly took the sedative and broke the pill in half allowing the powder hidden within the casing to fall into the moonshine where she gave a few good swirls of the bottle. She had to work quickly if she and Beth where going to make this work. "Come on over here angel It's hotter than a billy goat's ass in a peppers patch. We could share that there bottle in your hand and get along with haven us some good ol' fun, and the blond angel, well she can have this one here." The druken fool says opening his arms wide while holding the bottle out to Beth in one hand and patting his leg with the other.

Carol knew that Beth was sweating worse than a sinner in church as she got up from her spot. Carol made her way over to Owen forcing her feet that felt as though they were incased in cement to move at her demand as steady and with all the inner strength she could muster up. She cringingly forced her body to drop down into his the over grown child's lap as she tried to not take in any deep breaths with all she had in her.. _Come on girl you can do this just think of it as being Daryl, _Beth sent her an encouraging look that spoke in volumes of how she would switch with her all she had to do was give her the word.

Beth leaned forward her peasant shirt was cut in just the right way that it showed no cleavage until she purposefully leaned forward. She was down on her hands and knees reaching a hand out toward Owen and the bottle of moonshine still in his hand. "Well aint you just an eager lil angel, plopen' yourself down into my lap and all like that and here I was a thinkin' you would be as jumpy as a virgin at a prison rodeo."

"I sure am not as innocent as I might look," Carol gave Owen a disgusted look that had slipped threw her built up wall that he must of taken as a sultry attempt because he attempted to bend his head down and take a kiss from her.

"Not till the bottle has been drunken down to half way first there big boy I want to have a good long drink before we get to the proper partying here."

"Don't you two be going and forgetting me now to." Beth brought the attention of Owens eyes back onto her as she made to crawl over and up into his lap along with Carol, as she took the bottle from his hand.

"_Two's always better then one in this assholes mind, may the god forgive us for what's about to be done, hope he lets this sin pass on by and sees it for what it is an act of help_." Beth sends a wink Carol's way trying to get her point across to her. Carol nods her head in understanding; two can get the job done much faster than one.

"Well now aint I just the dandiest sum of a bitch around, happier than a tornado in a trailer park knew you two angels would just fall for my charms, all the ladies do one way or another."

Beth works at opening the bottle with shaking hands as she juts out her chin in a show of determination. She had gotten into her grand dads liquor cabinet when she was younger, back when her daddy had a problem with getting lost in his bottles. She could recall the memory of how the liquid in the bottle slid down her throat causing it to burn and travel its way down into her stomach like a raging fire that had gotten so out of control that not even the mouthfuls of water she had taken at the time could quench the aching pains that where stabbing threw her.

As Beth takes her first sip from the open bottle in her hand, the liquid sliding down her throat is a very weak version of what her gramps used to make. This one goes down smoothly and doesn't even leave a fiery trail of burning aches in its path. Leaning forward she passes the bottle off into carol's hand, giving the girl a wink as she does so.

Carol upon seeing Beth's wink takes an imaginary sip from the fire bottle in her hand. She hands the bottle of too Beth as the girls spend the next few minutes playing pass the bottle back and forth they proceed to watch as Owen takes 3 shots of his own and then stands up abruptly knocking the girls off his lap as he hollers over his shoulder "I gotta piss so bad my eyeballs are uh floatin'."

While Owen's back is turned away from the girls Beth takes the chance to empty out the bottle a quarter of the way. As Owen makes his way back over, the ladies are horrifies as they watch him stumble as he calls out "Why don't you come here angel and give me some sur'gar the blondie can sit back and get her kicks watchen' till it's her turn." He manages to slur his words out around the bottle in his mouth.

"Sure but you got to catch us first," Carol yells over her shoulder as she and Beth climb to their feet and take off at a slow jog out of their little area in the woods.

* * *

If Daryl thought he could deny having feelings for Carol before, it was useless lying to himself about it now. He fucking cared about Carol, he knew it was unusual to care for someone as quickly as he was coming to feel about her and he sure as hell hoped that she cared and thought about him. Whenever the bus stopped making its way down the bumpy potholed roads his mind and thoughts would often become quiet. He hadn't had much in the way of sleep every damn time he would go to close his eyes to catch a few winks a bad dream would play itself out in his mind.

Daryl wasn't one to put a whole lot of faith in mythical happenings or into Precognitive dreams or even for that matter premonitions where just coincidences in his book. Hell psychic dreams, visions, and clairvoyance where all the things his mama believed in not him. It wasn't his minds way of thinking. He never was one to follow in his mama's footsteps, or follow her Cherokee heritage path. The spirits had never once offered him a way out of his hell hole of a life before so why would they start warning him now.

Daryl had been having a recurring dream lately though. A dream that had felt like more than just your typical average nightmare, he kept seeing Carol in the shade of a few trees. In this dream of his there was someone standing beside her but he couldn't make out the face of the figure as it stood there underneath the shade of the moonlit trees. Carol had been beckoning to something or someone. Daryl had been hoping it was an animal that had gotten lost since he knew she lived on the Greene's farm and not a person who had grabbed her attention.

A quiet emptiness is what he now sought after when he would awake from his dream state with the memory of that nightmare still lingering on the surface of his mind. Daryl was becoming used to seeking out the memory of their first kiss to often rid his mind of its evil tricks. The memory of their meeting and the emotions he felt came often to the surface of his darkened mind. The nightmare however kept rising up in his conscious thought like an arrow in the sky skimming the surface of the morning's low hanging fog as it made its way threw out the forest. He could push the arrows head down with the use of another arrow setting it off course, but it would fly back up again in the wrong direction of its target.

He didn't really want the glimpses from that twisted dream left on the top surface of his memory, he was worried it would end up pushing away the feelings he had while he held her and the way she made his body tingle and come to life at her touch. He wanted to cement the memory of her kissing him and holding him back in her arms just as fiercely as he had been. There was just no questioning it his spirit recognized the familiarity in hers as soon as she touched his hand for the first time. Such a simple touch had sent his spirit soaring above new levels in order to tangle with hers. He was staring out the window at the darkened sky the moon was absent tonight but that allowed for the stars in the sky to shine their way through the clouds. He thought that he'd gladly give back all the things he owned in his position which weren't much mind you; he'd give it all up if he only could. _ Shouldn't have left the fucken' way I did._

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Hope that you all enjoyed feel free to let me know of any mistakes. Yes, I know mama Dixon hasn't made an appearance as of yet but I need Owen to be in the right state of mind when the gals ask him where to find her that blame doesn't fall back on her.

"May the sun's light bring you new energy by day, may the moon's rays softly restore you while you dream at night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know it's beauty all the days of your life." oxox Tula


	8. Chapter 8 Hide and Seek

Hope you all are enjoying our last few days of summer. Fall is quickly making its appearance here on the east coast. Hope you all have been staying safe. Sorry this is a bit late lost the power a time or two during the thunderstorms we had over here. Thank you for sticking around and reading its much appreciated . Anyways on with the story. oxox Tula

**Disclaimer** I don't own AMC's The Walking Dead or any of its characters,wishful hopen aside.

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Chapter 8 Hide and seek

The moon was high in the sky as their feet pounded heavily onto the ground. They had allowed Owen to catch up to them as they had danced in and out of the surrounding trees. One girl at a time would pop out of her hiding place to appear in front of him long enough for him to get a sense on their general direction. "Should we let him catch us Beth or should we catch him?"

"What we need to do and what we should do are two different things Carol, we need to somehow get his wallet so we can find out the Dixon's address, Merle never did tell me where his home was."

"Well how about we make him fall to his damn knees, make him feel lower than the scum he is like he has made our guys feel their whole life."

Beth agrees with Carol, "I want him striped down, I want him to the point that he can't even recall us tonight, and left with no dignity or a shred of honor, this dog has non and he should be made ashamed of what he has done to the gifts that god gave him in this life."

When Owen seemed to be tiring of the girl's game Carol strikes out at him pushing at his back, making the brute of a man fall to his knees. Where Owen's wobbling legs are no longer able to support his drunken body. "What the hell kinda game are ya playen at girly?"

"Oh you know the kinda game where you lose, all of them cloths of yours." Carol purrs at him unbuttoning the top button of his flannel shirt. Glad that she is standing behind him and he is too drunk to feel the waves of disgust rolling off of her.

"If ya wanted a show you only ha' ta ask." Owen informs Carol as he pushes her hands away from the buttons on his long flannel shirt. He proceeds to sit there and disrobe. Being too busy and thrilled at the thought of being with possibly two women at once Owen doesn't take in the fact that he is the only one undressing. As Beth is standing behind him kicking his discarded clothing into a pile, she winks at Carol. Carol is busy running around and gathering twigs and bits of leaf as she works quickly gathering kindling up for a small camp fire. Carol looks up from building the fire and points at Owen he has kicked off his boots and is now working at removing his jeans. She gets Beth attention with a low whistle and uses one hand to point at Owens pants pocket as she brings her thumb on her right hand up and down as if trying to start a lighter. After a moment Beth quickly understands and with nimble fingers she quickly while holding her breath searches Owen's pockets for his lighter.

Sitting there in his boxers Owen is starting to come to the realization that the two girls are still fully dressed as he takes in the sight around him with blurry eyes and with his head starting to get fuzzy he wonders outloud, "This gonna be uh strip tease thing, cuz you two angels still be dressed."

"That's right Owen; Beth coming out from behind him with his lighter in hands says "this is going to be a game a bit like truth and dare. You see we gals like playing games as we are sure you know well, don't you Owen." Beth asks as she passes Carol the lighter to light the gathered wood at her feet.

Beth begins a slow sway of her hips as though she is listening to phantom music but really she is just anticipating all that awaits this pig of a man in front of her. Being able to get back at this man isn't usually in Beth Green's nature but tonight she isn't going to walk away from an opportunity of teaching this man a lesson on humiliation. Something she is sure that the lord above has witnessed this man do to many others and now it was time for him to be brought down.

"Yous ain't no angels, angels don't fucken tease, you two must be wicked witches."

"So think us witches do you Owen Dixon, come and sit with us around the fire and we will sit here and cast upon you our spell, it's just a simple truth spell nothing more and nothing less." Carol sweetly lets the words slip past her lips as Beth moves to her side where Owen is now able to see the fire her gypsy skirt had been hiding.

"Not really a spell, for you see I have been collecting your clothes and we are going to look into your wallet here in Carol's hands and have a peek at your ID. We're going to ask you a few questions Owen, if we think you are telling a lie we will set an item of your clothing on fire. Beth says as she sits down by the pile of clothing she had kicked over to Carol.

"How in the blazes do ya both know my name?" Owen manages to get out in-between yawns as he wonders at _what kind of a game these two be playen at_.

The girls give a glance at each other, and carol being the writer decides to take this one with a wink in Beth's direction. "Two sparrows came by and whispered it into our ears of course. Now let's play a little game shall we? Carol asks Owen as she pulls his wallet out of his pants pocket and looks through it for his ID.

"Are you really 6'2 Owen?"

Owen nods his head in a dumb founded manner; his eyes are working hard at staying open after haven a few drinks at the bar and the little bit he has had now along with the jog through the woods he's feeling the alcohol in his system. His head is on its way to drooping on his shoulders he's haven such a hard time keeping the heavy burden up. "Bad as I hate to, Im gonna tell ya the truth, cut off that light over yonder, will you sweet cheeks it's too damn bright in here." He complains rubbing a fisted hand into his eyes.

The girls both look at him funny as if the man has gone out of his mind and around the bend a time or two. Carol leans into Beth in order to whisper into the other girl's ear, "You think the sedative is finally kicken in?" "It's been an hour since we been at this and he has that bottle of fake moonshine about half gone, seems bout the right time for the drugs to take effect. Should be able to ask him anything we want, men tend to have loose lips at this state of drowsiness."

"Do you really weigh 213 Owen? Beth asks in a disbelieving voice as Carol and she share a look of.. _ya right in his dreams…_ Carol lifts an eye browel, _don't want to even know what that pig of a man dreams of_… Beth answers her back with wide eyes… _oh yuck_!

"Sure do sugars all of it being muscle." He tells the girls as he uses his right hand to pat his beer gut of a belly, as he brings the bottle in his hand up to his mouth.

"Whatever you say Owen, but for some odd reason we don't believe you are quit telling us the truth, and you deserve to be punished for your lying tongue." Carol lets Owen's shoes fall into the fire at herher side.

"Woman I can walk on glass barefoot a little bit of twigs and rocks aint gonna harm me none." Owen attempts to make it onto his knees to show off his powers at walking around barefooted without coming to any harm but his head is so heavy and topsy turve that he's having a hard time making sense of how to manage doing it without falling onto his face and he hasn't even managed to get up off his knees.

Dangling his pants over the fire with the use of a stick she managed to find close by in Carol's gathering of kindling, Beth not wanting to touch the vile things again manages to ask "Do you live at 129 Celestial RD?" As she lowers the pants closer to the fire she can see Owen's head quickly making its way to the ground.

"Maybe why don't ya let me take ya there now and show ya two uh good times?" As Owen flops down onto the ground no longer being able to attempt to make it up from his knees, he lays down on the dirt ground.

"Are you married Owen? Carol asks in a voice full of conviction, _we know you are dare ya to lie to us now _whispers across her mind in a glee full voice.

"Shit of course I aint, where'd ya get a fools idea like that from aint no she devil that can nail me down."

The girls watch as Owen bairly manages to lift his head far enough off the ground to chug from the bottle sitting there on the forest floor beside him. His eyes falling shut Beth quickly gets up from her seated position on the forest floor and tosses all of Owens clothing into the fire and creeps up next to him with Carol there by her side. "So tell us was that street address right so we can carry this on after we manage to get you back to your house."

"Yep it sure is, honey sugar." Owen manages to answer right before he slips off into the dream world and starts to snore away into the dark.

The girls back up covering their mouths with their hands. While giving Owen a few minutes to fall into a deeper sleep the girls manage to put out the small fire and pour the rest of the drink out on him. Seeing as how he hasn't managed to stir from what little was left in his bottle being splashed into his face, Beth brings her right foot back and kicks Owen in the right side of his head.

"That's for all the evil vile things you have done tonight." She pulls her right hand into a fist bringing it down onto nose, hearing a satisfied popping noise. "That's for all the pain you have caused our men, you don't deserve to even share their blood you vile piece of shit.

Carol grabs a hold of Beth waste bringing her form away from Owen's side, "Come on Beth, let the good lord work his karma on him now, I'd love to join you in beating the shit out of him but we know he's married and I don't want no harm coming to our guys mama."

Beth nods her head her fist still clenched in her fury. "You just don't know yet what he was like to the boys Carol, you just don't know how much I detest this pig."

"I know about the scars Bethie, Daryl has them just like I do, don't you think this brought up bad memories for me? Because it has I just don't have the time right now to let them take part in this, I'm stronger then I once was and I won't let that rule my life. Carol releases Beth's waist hugging her self. Beth turns around hugging her, "Sorry Carol but you know the good lord works in mysteries ways and you had to go through hell to find your guiding angel." Carol nods taking Beth hand in hers. "Come on let's get out of here, I'll race ya back," she manages to get out threw her achingly thick dry throat, as they quickly tip toe out of the area. They race through the moonlit forest and head back to Beth's daddy's truck waiting for them back on the safer side of town. In the hopes that Owen's address is correct on his ID.

* * *

Night was creeping by them slowly as the girls made it to the awaiting car they came to find that it was only 7 at night. Carol and Beth had been full of amazement to find that with the darkness that had settled around them that it wasn't all that late into the night after all and had decided it was best they go and meet mama Dixon now. That's where the girls where now pulling onto a gravel drive way. It had taken them all of 23 minutes to get here once they had entered the car.

Bringing the vehicle to a stop Beth and Carol got out of the car taking a look around at their surroundings. The once beautiful white Victorian house had seen better days. The white over the years had not been up kept and now had a faded look of a dirty grey from years of neglect. The front steps heading up to the home looked rickety and loose to the point that the two girls' weren't very sure if they would be able to make their way up the stairs without falling threw. The look of the surrounding land with the house as a back ground reminded Carol of a night time story gone wrong. From the looks of the place there was only darkness that surrounded this area. No bright flowers or trees could be found from the front view to show life in any form on this land.

Carol came around to Beth's side of the car her purse clenched in her hand as she clasped Beth's hand in her free one. "Wonder if we can make it up the stairs alive"

"Beth joins hands with Carol as they make their way up to the stairs on the front porch, "Think it would be safe if we just jumped it… what do you think?" Beth asks looking at the stairs with a frightened smile on her face.

"We best make it quick whatever we do," giving Beth's hand a quick squeeze Carol and Beth make a fast dash up the stairs. Looking around and seeing no lights on in the house through the windows the girls decide to give a light knock on the door.

The door creaks open loudly with an eerie haunting cry as a black cat comes racing out the door hissing at the girls as it runs by giving them a fright. Turning around and following the cat with their eyes they give a giggle at being so spooked by such a small creature. Night time in unfamiliar surroundings was playing tricks on their minds. As the girls turn around they come face to face with a loaded crossbow being held right in front of their faces between the two of them.

A Native American woman stepped out onto the porch forcing the girls to take a step back. "If the two of you floozies be looking for my dear pig of a husband he ain't here. You two need to turn your cute little asses' right around and get the fuck off of my front porch before I see to putting a bolt through your ass cheeks."

"Where just here to pass on some words in a few letters to you hon, we aren't here to see the he devil." Beth tells the woman standing in a threatening poise in front of her.

As the two girls take in the appearance of the lady in front of them they are seeing the resemblance of their men in her features. Beth can see the black curly hair that Merle despises with all of his being that he keeps his hair cropped close to his head. The way that his temper flairs up and can be set off like a ticking time bomb reminds her of the woman in front of her now and the presence her aura is shooting off a message of not to mess with her.

Carol is taking in the crossbow the lady is holding in her hands and the familiar presence that is rolling off of it. As she looks the woman in the eyes she can't help but to gasp at the turning tidal waves of color hidden there that remind her of Daryl's own eyes. The color and shape of them so like that of her younger sons that Carol is able to take a deep breath and trust in that familiar presence rolling of the crossbow that no harm will come to her threw this weapon.

"Oh look it's a bible thumper come to preach to this lost soul about the words of god, "**Hallelujah**" I've been saved, thank the gods." Mama Dixon holds the crossbow up higher notching back the bolt into the ready position, a look of uncompromising and fury falls over her features. "Now you got to the count of 10 to get off my front porch and into that chariot you done rolled up into here in."

Carol looks over at Beth out of the corner of her eye and gives a deep sigh, as she slowly reaches into her purse. "You best be halting right there missy, don't need you to be pulling no gun out on my ass, I'll put this right here bolt right between your eyes!" Mama Dixon steps up to Carol going nose to nose with the other woman.

Carol gulps and nods her head slowly bringing the letter out of her purse and holding it up for mama Dixon to see. "It's from Daryl hon, we mean you no harm here just wanted to drop off this letter to you. Thought you'd like to know about your boys"

"These are from Merle, I'm sorry I didn't get them to you sooner, if there was a safe way to do it sooner I would have." Beth says from behind her holding a small bundle of letters out to her, they are tied and kept together by a familiar black bandana, the very one she had gifted to him on his 18th birthday.

Mama Dixon lets the bow drop to her side at the sight of that familiar bandana, a look of longing fear and relief flashing over her eyes. "Merle? How do you know Merle? You know where my older boy is? Is he okay, he alive?" She manages to get out through a throat that is tightening up as tears threaten to fall from her eyes. Turning back to Carol she looks the young woman up and down giving her a once over. "How do you know my sweet baby boy, your new here aint cha?"

"We met when he first stepped foot into the diner I work at, he asked if we could sit and talk for a while. I've held his memory close ever since." Carol explains to the woman in front of her as memories of that day and night flash throughout her memory.

A single tear manages to slip past mama's tightly concealed control as she turns around before her legs give out on her. "That'll explain the familiar aura hanging around yours then, always was the sweet one my baby boy knew he'd be the one to fall hard and fast when he finally found the right one, his souls proper mate."

Rushing forward the overly joyed mama grabs up the letters from Beth, as she turns to make her way into the house she shouts over her shoulder. "Well move it girls where you born in a damn barn get your asses in here and shut that damn door, the boys would have a fit if I just left you both out there to catch your death. What with Fall make its appearance all early like. Can't heat up the whole damn house with the door all opened up like that hurry up and get a move on in here. You two can call me Aiyana, Aiyana Brier-Rose Dixon."

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Aiyana - eternal blossom

Hope you all enjoyed know it might seem a bit rushed but we have had one thunderstorm after another over here and I wanted to get something out there for you all, sorry its so short. Feel free to drop me a review good or bad I don't mind. Flames just make the mind work harder. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a wonderful start to next week. Have a good Morning Afternoon and Evening. Stay safe. oxox Tula


	9. Chapter 9 The Journey

Thank you all who have been with me I really do appreciate you all and your kind words. For being patient with me. I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD OR ANY OTHER COPY RIGHTED WORKS MENTIONED HERE WITHIN. THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION.**

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As the clouds opened up and started crying their tears the two girls followed Aiyana into the house. You couldn't tell from the outside of the house but the inside had a hidden warmth that felt like home was within its walls. Aiyana walked up to a lit fireplace giving off the only warmth and light in the room, she sat down in a wooden rocking chair. The rocking chair was made of a dark wood and by the looks of it, it was hand made with a ton of love carved into every flower that could be seen on the surface of it.

"Come on in here girls; why don't ya take a look around while I work on reading these."

The gals walked around taking in the sights before them. They both knew a little about how the boys had grown up, Beth more so than Carol. Neither one of the girls would of ever thought that the inside of their childhood home would be filled with such warmth. Along the mantel of the white bricked fireplace where wood carvings. Beautiful animals made out of many different types of wood. Upon stepping up to the mantel the girls could see that there was a pack of wolves there. All 6 of the carvings where masterfully done. There where crude wolfs as well as if it had taken the carver years to get the form of the predators just right.

Carol took a few steps away from Beth and headed toward the far wall. There were pictures all along this wall. The picture frames where just like them wolves, hand carved the love put into the wood work shined right through the beauty of the carved figures dancing along some of the frames. Beth came a walking up to Carol's side taking her hand. "Beautiful aren't they. Both of our boys can do this Carol. Merle once told me that a man wasn't a man unless he could make something out of nothing with his own two hands."

"So many things in this house my boys did make. You wouldn't think it with how rough they tend to act but they are more then what the outside shows them to be. Thank you ladies for coming out here, but its best ya get a move on now before Owen attempts to barge his way into my home this night. "

"You shouldn't have any problems with him; we knocked him out cold for you. Hopefully he won't show his face here any time soon." Carol turned around facing Aiyana. "Any good news in the letters, about how Merle be doing?"

"Ya that boy of mine always getting into trouble, punched the lights out of one of his fellow soldiers guess the man was caught in bed with a woman that was not his wife. Merle's always had a soft spot for the ladies specially the ones with a no good shitty ass husband."

"Yeah, sounds like Merle, always looken out for the ones that have a hard time sticking up for themselves."

"Now what did you ladies do before you all came here? Didn't do somethen I wouldn't do, did ya?"

"We played a game of hide and seek with that no good older Dixon, why are you still with him?" Carol knew asking this question would possibly get her in trouble with the woman and later on Daryl but she just had to know the question.

Getting up out of her walking chair Aiyana came to stand in front of the two girls. Lifting her arms she placed her hands upon the girl's faces. "We often stay with the ones that hurt us the most because we think we deserve it. I put my boys through hell, should of could of would of's are all past. This farm is mine, I won't ever leave it. Of there is ever anything I can give to my boys that's good, this will be it. Sure the house looks like its divided and falling apart but on the inside there is warmth. That man hasn't been here in months not since Daryl came back home and beat the pulp outa him."

She took a deep cleansing breath and took a step back grabbing the girls each by one hand. "Call me mama girls, come with me, the boys want me to show ya both somethen."

With their hands held loose in both of her own mama Dixon led the girls throughout the home. The walls in the adjoining room where bare. The furniture was all made of solid wood. Beautiful oak cabinets sat along the dining room wall. A matching hutch and owls in flight flew along the walls of the room. The kitchens adjoining cabinets where made of a light maple wood. "It's beautiful isn't it girls, my boys are more on the inside then you could ever believe them to be."

With a gentle tug at their hands she led them over to the stairs that lead down into the basement. Releasing the girl's hands mama Dixon reaches into her pocket and removes a box of matches. Lighting a lantern that was hanging there along the top of the banister, she leads the girls down stairs. "It's easier on the eyes to stay with natural light. The only rooms that are not used with natural lighting are the kitchen and bathrooms in this house. Too many years spent in the darkness leaves the eyes unfriendly to man-made lights."

"This is it ladies, take your time looking around." Aiyana made her way across the room to a table where two other lanterns where being held. She lit them both and handed one over to both of her sons girls.

Carol and Beth took up one of the lanterns mama handed them and took to looking around the room. It was an open spacious room; a fire place was along one side of the room. A pile of wood lined up along one side of it with a fur rug at its hearth and two sitting chairs. Carol walked up to them and inspected them taking in the detail to the one on her left. Beth was not far behind her as she walked right up to the one on her right.

"More wolves here, what's on yours Beth?"

"Ya same here, though Merle's," lifting her head from inspecting the chair and looking over at mama as if to confirm her prediction, she continues on with a smile on her face as the woman nods her head yes. "Merle's also has an owl carved here next to the wolf."

"Thousands of miles apart and yet you both can still pick up traces of which one is yours. I'll be damned maybe my boys have finally done somethin' right." Mama stood there a warm smile on her face her lantern grasped in her white knuckled grip.

Mama walked up to Carol, "Carol honey pay close attention to what your about to see next it might just shock that white dress right off ya and turn it black." The woman grasped Carol on the shoulder and walked her right over to a door, "Head on in there honey, remember your always welcomed here if you should ever have need of it, you to Beth." Mama told the gal walking up to the opposite door in the big open room.

The girls made eye contact with each other, "No time like the present to see what they want us to see." Carol's eyes spoke volumes to Beth's.

"May the lord guide us through this mystery, Merle best not have any poor dead stuffed creatures in here, I'll kill him." Beth shot back with a tip of her head moving forward and a hand rising to turn the knob. Carol chuckled at this point she couldn't wait to meet Merle. Both of the girls turned to their doors and slowly opened them.

Carol walked into the room and the sights before her eyes nearly made her want to fall to her knees are cry. The walls where painted black and along one wall where pictures of a time long of frozen memories of his past. Here in this room she could feel Daryl in every inch of it. _What secrets does he keep under his bed? _ Though the rooms walls screamed darkness Carol felt nothing more than warmth. She walked over to the four poster bed. The wood once again was dark and carved into it a monogram of wolves. The coverlet was sown together furs, Carol ran her hand over the long thick warmth. She could still feel Daryl's presence there in that room his scent surrounding her filling her as she layed back and sank into his hidden warmth.

Carol had only known Daryl for a short time, but what she was feeling for this mystery man could move the universe to such a degree that that it would shake the earth underneath their feet. Carol took in a deep breath and looked up only to find the top of a canopy. She had left her lantern there on the bedside table. Reaching over and lifting it up with a hand she laid back down with it resting on her belly. Looking up not seeing very clear she thought she could almost hear Daryl's voice telling the story that was carved out of the wood above her.

Two wolves fought in a meadow surrounded by what she could only imagine to be his thoughts on what hell looked like. Everywhere her eyes landed was filled with such detail of the story carved into the wood. As though he had started carving before he had ever started to learn any form of writing. This was Daryl's way of telling his story. When no one was there to listen to guide him, when his spirit was crying out silently weeping, he told his story there on the hidden underside of his canopy.

Carol was quickly coming to a realization that there where pictures and drawings along every wall across every piece of furniture describing his life surviving in this his personal hell cast about this room. Some of the carving where etched so deeply into the bored of the room that she was starting to wonder if he had been locked away in this room at times. A prisoner in his own home, what kind of childhood he must have had for him to be the man he was now.

Carol was lost she didn't understand why a woman a mother had stood by while her children where put through hell. She got up off the bed and went over to the door she did not come in through. Opening the door Carol found a closet, with a familiar looking crossbow in it though this one was smaller in the frame. There where bolts and feathers lining one wall and clothes hanging along the other. Carol couldn't help pulling a shirt of the hanger. Looking around she spotted a wooden chest, bending down she opened it.

Carol fell backwards onto her butt at the sight before her hidden there in that chest. There where drawings upon drawings some of them beautiful others where done by the hands of a child. Carol quickly closed the chest feeling it was much too private for her to be seeing with her eyes without Daryl there beside her.

Getting up and walking over to the dresser along one of the walls Carol opened up the bottom drawer and found a pair of black and green checkered sleeping pants. _These will work._ Carol proceeded to strip out of her dress. She'd always hated wearing the color white, and dresses really weren't her choice in clothes. Carol only did so tonight in hopes of turning Owens head her way to get him out into the woods and to keep him away from Beth. She had done that task well, both of the girls having no harm done to them.

Carol pulled the dress from her body sending it flying out of the room. She never was one to wear white dresses they were much too easy to get messy. Andrea loved the dress though and said it would look good on her. Where she heard a chuckle from mama Aiyana, "I'll just toss this onto his chair for you; I see your following Beth's lead and changing into an item of clothing of your mates as well. My boy's heads would be bubbles right now getting' ready to burst if they knew I'd let ya two down here"

"Thank you mama, I haven't known Daryl for very long, but I like to think that the heavens opened up that day and had the clouds cry their tears in order for him to enter the diner where I was working. Maybe just maybe he was sent to save me." Carol called out to Aiyana loud enough for the woman to pick up with her ears.

"No Carol, you were sent to save him to. Just like Beth found Merle when he was sinking, the Thunderbird had a hand in this my girl." Aiyana softly whispered back a rare smile gracing her lips.

Carol felt a smile slide upon her face as she slipped into the shirt that belonged to him. It still had his scent clinging to it. The smell of his scent once more filling her senses had her purring. This man who hid behind a wall of infinite darkness was stealing her heart. He wasn't even here in person to give her these feelings that where surrounding her, but he was around her here where she could feel his presence, a feeling that was settling into her skin making this room of his feel like home. Home what a thought Carol couldn't help but to wonder what a home with him would be like as she pulled on his sleeping pants. Marveling at the thought and the way that they seemed to fit, Carol was learning that this silent hunter was quickly growing on her like a well fitted glove.

Carol took a running start and leaped up onto the bed sinking back into the comfort that awaited her there. She couldn't help humming to the tune that was lodge there in her mind and never took notice of when that tune started to form into words. Words that came forth from the deepest darkest part of her that she had kept locked up tight and sealed away… her heart.

**_"Heart, don't fail me now! Courage, don't desert me! Don't turn back now that we're here."_**Carol's thoughts drift back to memories of Daryl walking into the diner and how the both of them fought through their instincts to brace each other.

**_ "People always say, Life is full of choices"_**Carol's mama taking her four year old selves face into her hands and telling that child she used to be that she had to, "**Fight Carol sweetie you can do anything in life as long as you keep moving. Don't you ever stop believing,"** on one of her mother's better days.

**_"No one ever mentions fear, or how the world can seem so long so vast."_**Leaving her home town to venture out here to her uncles made her realize just how much was out there. That maybe just maybe there was place she belonged.

**_"Somewhere down this road I know he's waiting, years of dreams just can't be wrong. His arms will open wide; I'll be safe and wanted finally home where I belong."_**Carol had been through ruff times. She had always hoped for a love that would treat her the way that she deserved to be love. She knew she just had to keep looking for him. Flashes of Daryl's eyes appearing in the front of her closed eyes, the warmth of them as his arms wrapped around her waist. The feeling of being wanted seeping from his pores into her skin was even now filling her with a warmth she had been missing her whole life.

**_"Well, starting here, my life begins, starting now, I'm learning fast. Courage see me through. Heart I trust in you."_**Giving a yawn Carol snuggled down deeper into the soft furs beneath her. Reaching up grabbing the pillow above her head, Carol pulls it down to the middle of the bed where she is resting and barriers her face into it. Taking a deep breath she lifts her head giving off a soft giggle. Knowing she's acting like a school girl over her first crush but she just can't help it._ I'll just rest here till Beth's ready to go._

**_"On this journey, one step at a time, one hope, then another, who knows where this road may go. Back to whom I was on to find my future, things my heart still needs to know."_** Flashes of the way Carol was while underneath her father's thumb. The way a man should never treat his child. Like cattle being put up for bid to the highest bidder. Forced into marring Ed, a man who sure as hell didn't deserve the honor of being called a man, he was a leech and had sucked the life right out of her. All the years he had treated her like she was nothing. Well carol was through with those days she was going to prove to the world that she was better than they ever said she could ever be. She was going to go back to school and learn while Daryl was away. If everything worked out the way she was dreaming and hoping then when he was done with basic training and school, well, Carol was hoping she's be a part of his life. They'd walk down this new road together, teaching each other.

**_"Yes, let this be a sign! Let, this road be mine!_****_Courage see me through, heart I'm trusting you to bring me home... At last!" _**Laying there on Daryl's bed, wrapped up in his scent, thinking of all the possibilities that might be heading her way put a dreamy smile on Carol's face. She allowed her thoughts to take a walk and wonder down a road she had never dreamed before of walking down.

Mama stood there in the doorway a tear sliding down her cheek as she watched Carol curl up into a ball on the top of her baby boy's bed. "Oh honey, if you could see her now, this humming bird of yours, she be needen you boy to wipe her past away and make her wings spread and fly with a hope and love that'll sing true."

Walking on light feet tip toes across the room Aiyana pulls open the trunk at the end of the bed and pulls out Daryl's quilt. Mama had made the quilt for him back when he was first born and as tradition goes she had built onto it over the years as he had grown. By the looks of things she would soon have to add the tree of life to it. The tree of life was the symbol that would fit Daryl the best after a bonding. Seeing that the woman had fallen to sleep she draped the blanket over her soon to be child's body. Moving the hair out of her face and back behind her ear Aiyana bends over and places a kiss on her forehead before making her way out of the room with the lit lantern safely in her hand.

Walking over to Merles room she found Beth in the same spot she had found Carol, resting safely upon his bed. Aiyana didn't know what her son's had done right in this life time for karma to bless them with such gentle woman. She knew that the girls where gentle in nature. Where others would of laughed and made fun of the outside of her home the girls had been brave and approached it.

When entering her home the girls had found warmth and the love hidden within it. The Dixon family home was not full of riches in the way of high costing materials, but it did have love adoring the walls of each room. Over the years the boys had worked together to hand make each and every piece of furniture. The one and only good thing they had ever gotten out of their sperm donor was the love of their papa. The man had taught them long before he passed away all those years ago how to handle a knife and how to use it along a strong piece of wood. William Dixon was a lot like his son but the one thing he never did do was raise a hand to her or her boys. With a sigh Aiyana walked up to Beth and also covered her in Merles quilt before placing a gentle kiss along her forehead as well. "Merle is your protector he will guard you against those who would harm you and you my dear are his eyes. You will guide him with the gentle loving hand he needs. You shall be his wings."

Aiyana walked out of the room all three lanterns held tightly with in her hands. She made her way over to the roaring fireplace and placed the girls' clothing onto the nearby chairs. Sitting down in front of the fire she softly started to sing her heart was over joyed. Sure many saw her as an outsider who stayed with a man who had no worth, but she had her reasons for doing what she did. With these thoughts in mind she allowed the familiar words to flow from her heart and out through her lips as she allowed her body to sink into the fur rug in front of the hearth. She would sleep here tonight and protect her two would be daughters. She would do this for her sons. Protect them with her life if need be, for they were her whole world her boys where her soul as any mother knows children are the one thing that keeps a moms world spinning around.

**"May the Warm Winds of Heaven blow softly upon your house.  
May the Great Spirit bless all who enter there.  
May your Moccasins make happy tracks in many snows,  
and may the sun always touch your shoulder." **

The sun had been in the sky for a little over two hours when a loud shrill noise pierced the quiet of the home awaking the three sleeping ladies. Awaking in an unfamiliar room Carol felt disoriented. The walls she could have sworn where black last night where actually a dark blue. The bed she was sleeping on was actually made out of what she believed to be oak. There was so much art work put into this room then she first had thought. The loud sound of a phone ringing ended the silence of the quiet home once more. Carol made it quickly to her feet and out of Daryl's room following the sound with her ears while searching with her eyes. Carol spotted a phone hanging up near the stairs. Rushing over to answer it she almost ran into Aiyana as she was getting up of the floor in front of the now dead hearth.

Lifting the receiver off of its base Carol put it to her ear and took a steadying breath, she had no idea if she had just overstepped the boundaries by answering the phone. The damage was already done though so she went ahead and gave a soft, "Hello," while watching mama make her way over to her side. "Carol?" The voice on the other end made the breath she had just taken in catch in her throat. A smile was spreading across her delicate features at the sound of the voice on the other end. She had missed the sound in fact she had almost forgot the rough sound of it and how it sent butterflies to take flight throughout her body. Letting the air out of her closed up throat and taking in a shake breath Carol was finally able to speak. "Daryl?"

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Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading. oxox


	10. Chapter 10 Breathing deeply

"Carol?" Daryl's voice was coming through the line sounding a little bit rough, as though he hadn't expected anyone one to answer the phone, defiantly not her.

"It's me Daryl, it is really you?"

"Of course it's me who else would be callen my mama's house? Why the hell are ya at my mama's place? Is there some then wrong with my mama? Why the hell aint ya at Hershel's? You know I called up there and Hershel was freaking out. Sayen, you and that blond haired daughter of his, hadn't been home all night…Woman are you there are ya going to answer me?" His words where coming louder over the phone so quickly where his questions coming that Carol was having a hard time keeping up and trying to process.

"Daryl, is it really you? I'm not still dreaming am I? Baby, if I'm not awake please don't leave me, if this is a dream please stay with me. Be here at home, stay close, be close to me, please stay don't be gone don't go." If one was listening close enough they'd be able to tell that Carol was holding her breath afraid to exhale. She knew Daryl was a man of few words and was never good at handling emotions, _would dream Daryl be the same _Carol wondered.

Here Carol was standing on her own two feet not sure if she was locked away in a dream or really awake. When just a moment ago she had been speaking to Daryl locked away in another dream world. Dreaming of Daryl doing this exact same thing, Daryl had called her up in her dreams and he had been calling her by that name. The name he'd dubbed her, the one that gave her wings. They had been talking for what felt like hours. Talking of the little things they hadn't gotten the chance to say. Of how Daryl regretted the way he had ran away. How he would take it back and do it all again and hold her longer. Just like he had spoken of in his letter to her the one Carol had received in the waking world.

They had spoken of how much Carol missed his presence and how much Daryl had managed to brighten her day without even being there beside her. For just the thought of him brought a smile upon her face. The kind of smile that could linger on her lips all day as bright as the sunshine. Even after working at the cafe while the town's people where cruel to her, his memory made that smile as bright as the moonlight still it linger. When their conversation had ended abruptly by a loud shrilling scream of the phone ringing, it had confused her for she had already though she was speaking with Daryl. The loud sound had woken her up from her pleasant dream world.

Was this even reality? How could she have gone from dreaming of speaking to Daryl over the phone to doing it in the waking world? Was someone above them playing mind tricks on her? Carol wasn't very sure but she knew that even if this was still her mind dreaming she didn't wish to wake up. Carol was listening with ears that where still ringing from the loud shrill that had awakened her from her pleasant dreaming; she was still holding her breath not being sure if this was a dream inside of a dream or maybe even reality. Though Carol could swear she could hear Daryl breathing as if he was standing right there beside her. Carol didn't want to let go of the way she had felt before that loud shrill had pierced the air and demanded they awaken. Every second that ticked by felt like an hour. Not wanting to trust her ears till she heard his voice say her name once again. Her name or maybe just some form of a sign, but Carol was hoping for her name above all others. The way her name could roll right off of his tongue had her coming unglued in her dreams. Even if it was just her dream Daryl, Carol could still remember how he had made her feel when they had been in the waking world together. How could a man she barely knew affect her very being so much, so early on?

"Yeah hummen' bird it's me, you aint dreamen'." Daryl could be heard saying. Carol's nickname from him rolling right off his tongue and into her mind making her toes curl and the butterflies lost in her stomach to once again taking wing and fly.

"Now you wanna tell me what the hell's going on." At hearing the word dreaming fall from Daryl's lips, Carol's mind came to the realization that this wasn't any form of a continuation of her dream world after all. This was her reality. Daryl was on the phone right now with her just like he had been in the dream world. Carol had been so comfortable in her dreams that she was still grasping on to wisps of it, even if it felt as though they were sliding right out of her grasp in a fogged haze.

"I must have fallen asleep… Beth must have too we didn't mean to, we came to deliver some letters… your mama is just fine. I spent the night in your room I didn't mean to just… I really hope you don't mind." When carol had spoken the words your bedroom it had sounded as though Daryl had punched a wall and almost dropped the phone. It made Carol feel nervous admitting such things as sleeping in his room and invading his privacy, but she had to get it all out there. Lay herself out on the line.

"I felt you your warmth there and felt at peace figured I'd give Beth a few minutes in Merle's room then we would go." She felt as though her voice was growing weaker and she began to fiddle with the phone cord in-between her fingers. Here she was standing in the man's cloths in his house after just sleeping in his bed… carol was starting to feel like a creeper what if Daryl didn't want this, whatever this was between them to last.

"Let me get this shit straight, your there in my damn mama's house but my mama is fine? You where delivering her letters? Woman I've only sent ya one to pass on. Where is your head woman, my ol' man best not be there. Why the hell is Beth Greene in my brother's room?" Carol held the phone away from her ear, she was sure that if he was here standing in front of her, Carol would of gone and left the house but she was sure if she had she would still hear the ringing in her ears. His voice sounded so mad the rough southern drawl was just dripping right on through the phone.

Carol had stopped breathing. Daryl's voice sounding angry and worry was clouding her thoughts, making them muddled in her head. Her memories where screaming out loud bringing her back to forgotten times in her past, that had been locked away tightly behind metal chains in her head. Carol took a deep cleansing breath and reminded herself that this was Daryl on the phone not Ed. Daryl who was very unlikely to harm her, she thought he was a man who had honor and would never harm a woman.

"Beth has been seeing Merle for a while now and the two of us decided to deliver the letters Merle's been sending to her for your mom. We did it last night while your father was out of town somewhere out in the woods being kept busy. Your mama deserved to have all the letters that have been sent to her from both her son's and she hadn't come into town so Beth and I thought we would seek her out, check on her."

"What do you mean out in the woods? My ol'man hates them woods… Hummin' bird, are you safe? Are you okay? What the hell did you do to end up at my mama's house? If you did anything like you did in my dreams, taunting or callen on someone then when I get back to you woman, I'm chaining ya up and throwing away the damn key. No one else can have ya Carol; even you have said that your mine woman, damnit, I've claimed ya Carol I did that night in the rain."

Carol released the breath she had been holding onto when he mentioned the dream. She was hoping that they weren't some form of a sign trying to warn him of the trouble she had been going through for him. In town or in the woods he had mentioned early last night. "What dreams Daryl I can't help you any there unless you tell me about them." Crossing her fingers hoping and praying that they weren't about the way the towns people had been treating her lately, the hell Maggie had been putting her through for being with a Dixon. All of the hell that had happened and the way they had tricked his daddy.

"Carol, I haven't got much time on here. My planes getting ready to board that's why I'm callen. I've made it to Fort Hood Texas; I'll be taken a military bird from here up to Fort Irwin. You know I gotta run soon, I gotta get goin'. I won't be long I'll fight my way back to ya woman after my training and schoolen'. I'll get ya that address as soon as I can woman, just do me one thing Carol… stay away from the fuckin' woods. Don't want to know if you've been in them lately and what ya been doing in them just stay out of them woods. Some then out in them just aint right. Can you do that for me Hummin' bird?"

"I can do that for you Daryl; I can also promise you I haven't been with no one and I sure haven't done any wrong in no woods." Carol felt the need to reassure him, make sure that he knew he was still the only one for her and that she had been with no other.

"I like the name you picked out for me, it fits me. It's not a common name, by the way what are we? what do I call you? You just walked away from me didn't say anything to me. You know what, it doesn't really matter what happened the night a while ago. The way you left me so quickly, I forgive you. Daryl just please, don't get hurt come back to me."

"Shit Carol I told ya I was sorry in that damn letter. I aint no good at this whole, relationship thing. Listen I aint ever gonna be perfect and when I make it back home ya can help teach me how to love somebody a someone… you… if you'll still have me. I know ya hate the rainy weather we're going through right now but just hold on woman we will get through this storm."

"Always Daryl I'll wait it out, I'm here with your mama beside me, and we're here waiting. I'm wearing your shirt I'm taking it back to the farm with me. I crave your touch I need you close. No matter how long it takes. Daryl I miss you. Just be safe and come back home when your time there is over. "

"As long as I get a chance to see it on ya someday, I guess you can keep the damn shirt don't matter which one your wearing. At least a part of me can be wrapped around ya." To Carol's ears it was beginning to sound as though Daryl was jealous of his own clothing. How funny it seemed to Carol as she fought back the giggles, and yet how enduring at the same time. Knowing he too might long for her the way she did for him.

"Carol." Daryl's words paused and the sound of her name coming from the other side of the line in his voice that sounds as though he was sending out a prayer. A cry for salvation, her name was ringing throughout the space between her ears, bouncing around of the walls of that down stairs room. The quiet of the room was defining after hearing him speak her name the way that he had. Carol looked up and found Daryl's mama eye's watering and near to releasing tears.

"I hate this place, I miss your smile, I miss your face, woman how the hell did ya manage to make it into my bubble and underneath my skin. I wrote a damn song just for you. I hope my message got through to ya, the ones that were hidden within." Carol's listening closely to the emotions in his voice. She can hear him is holding back his want for her need to understand. She can hear it there on the phone line, the tones of wanting in his voice; he had tried to use that same hidden emotional voice back on the docks on the long ago night.

Daryl's words are leaving her wanting. Carol wants to let loose a laugh at his wanting of her and at the same time she wants to curl up into a tight ball on his bed once again and cry. Their emotions are the same even with the distance that is separating them she knows exactly just what he means what he is saying and the words he can't seem to get out.

"Sorry little hummin' bird times up, keep writing them songs you love so much and don't forget stay out of them damn woods! Tell my mama where I am." Daryl wasn't quite ready to go; Carol could hear it in that emotionless tone.

"I will my wolf." At saying these simple words to Daryl, Carol could hear his sharp intake of air. This was the moment of truth for her if he returned her words in any way she was going to stop fighting this. She was no longer going to listen to the voice of Ed lodge inside her head. From now on there was only going to be Daryl. She had thought this many times before, but now she was ready to pick her life up off that floor and start out on a new path that had many open doors.

"Stay safe, MY Hummin' bird." With that Carol heard the click of the phone being hung up. She slowly let her legs give out and she sank down onto the floor. A trail of tears making their way slowly down her smiling face, Daryl had definitely claimed her his the smile in his last words and the possessiveness in his voice spoke in volumes to Carol.

Picking herself up off the floor she took a few steps over to mama. The woman taking Carol's hands in her own. Carol smiled down at the warmed weathered hands holding hers before looking up and meeting the deep blue eyes of the older woman. "He's in Texas getting ready to take the plane up to Fort Irwin."

"That's good, nice to know one of my boys still have fingers to call me. Now by the loud angry sounds comen from that boy's yellen you and Beth best be getten on your way back towards the farm." Mama lets Carol's hands slide out of hers as Beth comes over to them carrying their clothing. They follow mama up the stairs and out to the front door out onto the front porch where she stops the both of them with a hand on both of their shoulders.

"Want you two to know, if you should ever have need for a place to call home… then ya best come a callen."

The suns morning light was beginning to break through the dark overcast clouds. The smaller trees bending in the wake of the wind as they made their way down the winding rocky road, the wind was wiping the side of the car as they made their journey up the drive way of the Greene family farm. When they broke through the trees the sigh before them nearly broke Carol's heart. Out on the front porch stood Hershel with Carol's belongings all around him. She couldn't help wondering if mama Dixon had given the two girls the message about always haven a home for this very reason… but how could she have known?

Beth turned off the engine pulling out the key. She turned in her seat facing Carol, "Whatever has happened, whatever daddy has done to come to this decision, I'll join you. I'll come with you; I won't let you do this on your own." Beth had a look of conviction and strength set firmly upon her face as she grasped a hold of Carol's hand getting her attention.

"Do ya hear me Carol? You won't have to go through this on your own we will make it through whatever this is if we stand up to him together. It's my fault, I fell asleep."

At hearing the last of Beth's words hearing the girl her cousin who had quickly become more of a sister to her proclaim it was her fault, woke her up out of her daze. "No Bethie, you need to stay here finish up your last few years at college and go on to become a nurse like we have been talking about. I won't let you pull out of school when you have been working so long. I won't be the one to drag you down."

"Carol, look at me please stop staring out of that window." With a turn of her head she looked over at Beth once again.

"Carol we can do this I have a full scholarship and we can go back to mama's she did offer her place up to us. You know she could use the company and we can keep the old bastard away from that house. We could help her fix it up the way that it needs. It's about time I prove to Maggie and Daddy that I've got all that I need and don't need them pushing me around. I'm tired of being a puppet on strings."

With a nod of Carol's head as she took in Beth's words and with a squeeze of her hand she climbed out of the car. Took a few steps it would take to make her way up to the porch where Hershel was standing his shot gun in hand.

"Bethany you want to explain these to me?" With those words Hershel sent a familiar stack of envelopes a few still tied together with a recognizable bandana. The loose letters went flying out into the wind from the palm of his hand. A few of the letters made it safely to the ground at her feet while the wind picked up a couple and sent them off in a different direction a feet from Carol. Carol jogged over and picked up the few lost letters and returned to Beth's side as she was getting up off of the ground Merle's letters tucked safely into her hands held close to her chest.

"Bethany Crystal have you been sleeping with Merle? Where is he? Why are you girls dressed in male's cloths. Carol what have you gone and turned my baby girl into?" Hershel was glairing down at Carol a hidden emotion tucked there behind his eyes.

Carol went to step forward and speak for Beth tell Hershel a lie so that her cousin her sister wouldn't have to face her daddy and what he considered to be shame upon his house. But before she could make it onto the first step Beth was there pulling her back with a negative shake of her head. "I love him daddy, how did you come to get our letters? Never thought you'd be the type of man to go snooping through his daughter's room, I'm not a teenager!" Anger and hurt mixed with accusations where dripping off of Beth's voice demanding that her father listen to her, hear what she had to say.

"Don't you dare talk to me in that tone of voice Beth!" Beth didn't care she marched right up the stairs past her dad almost making him tip over when he went to grab at her, and she marched with determination right into the house.

Carol walked up them front porch steps and stood toe to toe with Hershel. She was done being scared of men and she could smell the scent of whiskey rolling right off of her favorite uncle, when she took a deep breath. "You know I had nothing to do with any of this if you had read those letters noticed the dates. You would have seen Beth was doing a good thing helping Merle to come clean. Here you are drunk as a skunk holding a shot gun in your hands, what are you going to do uncle shoot till I'm off your land? Go after Merle and innocent man who holds your daughters heart?" Carol spoke her voice trembling but behind each word was conviction and strength she wasn't about to let another man take the higher ground. No Carol "Humming Bird" was going to take to the sky and prove to herself and others that she was more than capable to fly.

"You know what, your just like all of those up turned noses town people, you don't even know the Dixon brothers and yet here you are a man that proclaims himself to be a man of god laying judgement upon others. Two brothers you don't even know because you have never taken the time out to get to know them. Well uncle I'll leave you with some parting words. Judge non yet thee be judged first."

Beth came quickly out of the front door with Maggie bickering at her right on her tail. Beth was carrying her school backpack and a duffle bag that had the name Dixon written on the side of it. Beth had made up her mind made her decision and she was letting the whole damn town know just who she was with. No more hiding, Beth was going to prove to all the others around her, just how strong she truly was. Beth turned around quickly forcing Maggie to run right into her. "Maggie, your my sister, I know you're the one who went snooping in my room and showed daddy them letters. I'll never trust you again Maggie in any form not even with a grain of sand. You know what hurts the most, the fact that I don't like you right now, but I still love you."

Beth stocked right out the front door and right up to Hershel, "I love you daddy. I hope that God can forgive you and help you to find the strength to come clean, just like he did with Merle. He sent me on that rocky dirt road the day I met the man I love. I helped him to get clean and prove to the man up above that he too has honor. Bye daddy."

Beth walked away from Hershel right down those steps she had known her whole life and waited for Carol to gather up her three bags and then the two sisters started out on a new journey right down that old dirt road.

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**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD OR ANY OTHER COPY RIGHTED WORKS MENTIONED HERE IN. THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION AND ANY ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE CHARACTERS OR REFERENCES MADE ARE BY MY OWN DESIGN.**

Hello loves sorry this has taken so long to get out. My munchgins have been sick the past few weeks. Thank you for sticking around those of you who are still we me. Hope you all enjoyed. The girls are on a new journey, sometimes you have to leave your old world behind in order to find your strength in life to help you grow. Thank you much for reading please review me let me know what you think. Stay safe! oxox Tula


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